


To Tame a Dragon

by addyrobin, ch3rryshortcake



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M, Oral Sex, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:16:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5400992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addyrobin/pseuds/addyrobin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ch3rryshortcake/pseuds/ch3rryshortcake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the owner of the Bull's Eye bookstore, the Iron Bull takes it upon himself to find the best reads for his discerning customers. Dorian Pavus is no exception to this - and the Bull will do whatever it takes to keep him from reading that "Fifty Shades of Grey Warden" trash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Inventory’s done, chief.”

 

Krem, diligent as always, dropped the clipboard unceremoniously onto the Iron Bull’s desk, sitting down atop it moments after.

 

“Thanks, Krem.” The Bull slid the clipboard into his view, adjusting his comically small glasses and leaning down over the desk to see the text on the clipboard. For just a quick scan, everything seemed to be in order...resolving to look over it more thoroughly later, Bull turned his attention up to the man on his desk, who was cleaning his nails with one of his paper clips. “How is it out there?”

 

“Dead.” Krem grinned. “How d’you think I got the inventory shit done so fast? No one asking questions or interrupting me when I’m trying to get shit done.”

 

“Huh. Alright then.” Bull stood up from his chair, stretching his arms a bit. It had been a slow day in the back as well, no phone calls or important emails taking up his work time. The Qunari had instead occupied himself by ordering some things online, making preparations for the things he did outside of work. All his staff knew about it already (and some had even taken to participating from time to time, like Krem) so there was no danger in having packages shipped to work. The worst he got was the occasional wolf whistle (again, from Krem), but there was nothing offensive about that.

 

“You wanna clock out early?” Bull looked to Krem with a little grin. “It’s been pretty dead back here, too. I wouldn’t mind sitting in the front for a while.”

 

“I could do that.” Krem looked out to the window, where the sun was already setting. It was only six, but with winter coming in the days were getting shorter and shorter. Even with the bookstore open until eight almost nobody came in once it was dark - only people like Cassandra, who insisted that nobody find out what they were reading; like it were really some scandal that she spent her free time reading smutty romance novels. “You sure you don’t want an extra hand just in case?”

 

The Bull laughed quietly, walking to the door that lead out to the desk. “I can handle it, Krem. You get out of here, go get some dinner or something. If I really need you, I’ll call.”

 

“Try not to break anything once I’m gone,” Krem teased, giving Bull a big smile. “See ya, chief.”

 

Once Krem was gone, Bull took advantage of the mostly empty storefront by grabbing a book and making some fresh coffee. He’d originally kept the machine in the back, but finding that it brought in more customers (and was convenient for him), he had left it in the front on the desk - free for anyone who wanted some.

 

He sipped at it gingerly, flipping through his book with interest. The one good thing about being a quick reader was that he could have a book finished by the end of a work day - and with the amount of books he had at the store, he never ran out of material. It was only when the bell at the front of the store rang that Bull looked up - curious to see who was coming into the store so late.

 

His curiosity became more of a direct interest when he saw just who had decided to walk through his doors. It was a handsome, strapping young man who was shivering in his boots like a wet dog, even despite the scarf and sweater that he wore layered beneath a stylish blazer. His face even bore a deep rosy flush across the his dark cheeks.  
  
Bull felt bad for the guy. He closed his book and rose up from his desk. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone - warm the man up and give him a bright welcome to his charming establishment - he strolled on over, only stopping to pour a cup of coffee at the coffee maker.  
  
"Hope you like coffee, big guy." He boomed, catching the man off guard. The dark-haired fellow startled and looked up at Bull with some alarm, only relaxing when he noticed the cup of coffee being offered to him. "Should warm you right up."  
  
"Oh thank you." He said, smiling gratefully as he took the cup from Bull's hands. He raised it to his nose, already feeling it's warmth melt at the cold. He took a small sip, a flash of disgust quickly passing over his face as soon as it ran over his tongue. "Goodness, it's bitter!"  
  
Throwing his head back, Bull let out a loud, rich, hearty laugh. This guy's expression was too adorable.   
  
"Sorry about that." Bull apologized, shrugging his shoulders. "There's sugar and creamer at the desk. Help yourself and sweeten it up to your liking. And hey, let me know if I can help you find anything. A particular title? D'you need a recommendation? Anything you might need, just let me know. I'm your guy." He grinned and winked, catching sight of the man’s nametag - ‘Dorian’, with a little heart scribbled in the corner by marker. “Just got off work, huh?”

 

“Correct.” Dorian strode over to the desk with the coffee maker, tearing open a few sugar packets and pouring them in as he spoke. “And you know, I’ve passed by this bookstore every day on my walk home, but never before have I had a reason to stop in…”

 

Dorian wouldn’t meet his eyes, he noticed. Iron Bull was used to being intimidating, but Dorian had seemed pretty upfront until he’d mentioned having a reason to drop by. Curious, the Bull decided it was time to pry a little.

 

“Yeah? Got something in mind?” He leaned back in his chair with a grin. “Don’t be shy. I’ve got all kinds of books here - I’ll help you find whatever you need.”

 

“Ah, well...it is rather popular, even if I have my reservations about sharing it…” Dorian looked around conspiratorially, as though to make certain that the bookstore was empty, before he leaned over the desk a bit. His voice dropped to a whisper as he spoke.

 

“Do you have, ah... _Fifty Shades of Grey Warden_?”

 

Oh. Oh _no_.

 

“I would never carry that kind of book in my store,” The Bull grunted before he could stop himself, the hurt look on Dorian’s face making him regret it instantly. “Wait, shit, it’s not--”

 

“You’re judging me,” Dorian accused quietly, looking too much like a kicked puppy. The Bull groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.

 

“Ugh...no, listen, it’s really not…”

 

"No. I understand." Dorian said sharply, more embarrassed than anything. "I'll find somewhere else to find my book. Thank you for the coffee, I should be going now."

 

Sighing, Bull stood back up from his desk, walking around it with slow, heavy steps. "Hey. Now wait a minute. That's not it. I'm not judging you. I'm not in business for making judgements, so I don't usually make an effort in judging people's tastes no matter how shitty they are," The Iron Bull explained. "My problem is with the book itself. It's a load of shit. And I can't let pretty boys like you soil their minds with shitty reads."

 

"Ah, but that sounds a lot like judgement to me." Dorian insisted, wagging his finger. The pout on his face took on a small amused smile. "I'm not judging you, however I think your tastes are awful, but worry not! For I am not judging you." He repeated, mocking Bull.

 

"I'm sure that'd hurt a lot more if your impression of me didn't sound so much like a bad movie announcer." The Bull couldn't help the smile on his face, leaning against the counter. "Really, though. If you have your heart set on it, then fine. I won't stop you. But at least let me recommend some better stuff? I've got a few by Tethras that I'm sure will get you off just the same - better, actually, because _Fifty Shades_ is a crock of shit written by someone who's never done BDSM in their life."

 

"He speaks from experience?" Dorian raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me. The owner of the quaint little bookstore on Birch street is secretly the king of BDSM?"

 

Shit. Trying not to look like Dorian had just pegged him for exactly what he was, Bull laughed easily and looked around below the counter. "Listen, I mean it," he said, dodging the question. Before Dorian could think to pose it again, Bull had set down one of Varric's novels, a gentle smile on his face. "I wouldn't normally, but...this is an advanced reader copy. I'm not supposed to sell these, so think of it as an act of charity. All yours if you'll promise to do your own research before you attempt to do any of the crap you read in that sorry excuse for a book."

 

He saw Dorian’s eyes flick towards the novel, clearly tempted. He’d yet to find a person in Thedas who couldn’t be tempted by a Varric Tethras novel...and it seemed Dorian was no different.

 

“...and if I’m just saying I will to get you off my back?” Dorian ventured, eyes locked on the book.

 

“Hey, you’re the one that gets hurt if you do. I’m just saying, do some research. See the shit that’s happened because of people attempting to do what they saw in that book. You’ll find some shitty guy who thinks he’s a dom on craigslist, you’ll tell him you want it like the book, and in the end you’ll just get hurt...” Bull paused then, looking at the confused expression on Dorian’s face. “Not talking about you, I mean! I’m talking about the article I read, about--”

 

“No, no. You’re not wrong.” Dorian took the book and turned it over, pretending to read the back cover as he spoke. “Men are my preference. I can be much more open about that around here than I ever could back in Tevinter.”

 

"Ah...so you are a Vint." Bull laughed softly, his arms crossing over his chest. "Kind of had that idea about you."  
  
Snorting, Dorian glanced up from the book, meeting Bull's eyes.

 

"Oh did you?" He questioned. "And how exactly did you figure?" Returning his vague attention back to the book, he flipped through the pages, glancing both over the inside front and back cover. This 'Varric Tethras'- Dorian was sure he had heard the name before. Felix had probably made mention of it before, but then again he had also been the one to recommend Fifty Shades of Grey Warden. So what did that say?  
  
"I dunno. You Vints just have an air of pretentiousness that just permeates the space around you."  
  
This earned a laugh from Dorian, he shook his head and then rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Such big words from the Qunari."   
  
Bull chuckled, gesturing around to the countless shelves filled with even more countless books. "Hey, I do read. Don't know if you noticed."   
  
"I've noticed." Dorian smiled, looking around the bookstore pointedly. He let out a relenting sigh, taking one last long look at the book in his hands. He brushed his thumb along the bottom edge of the book, looking as if he was truly considering it. "Is this Tethras' book truly that much better? Can you confirm that I'll get the full... 'experience', since it seems you're such the expert on the subject?"  
  


“Absolutely.” The Bull laughed easily, leaning up on the counter with a smirk. “I mean, I’d show you, but I think that’d be out of line.” He snorted and moved his attention to beneath the desk, fixing the shelf now that a book was gone. At the lack of answer, Bull carefully looked back up. “...it was a joke, don’t get--”

 

“Would you?” The words came out of Dorian’s mouth very suddenly, and Bull had to stare with some awe, not sure that he heard right.

 

“Would I... _what_?”

 

“Would you...show me. You know. If you’re really so knowledgeable.” He could tell that Dorian was attempting to project an air of confidence, but it seemed to be failing - his attempts to flirt with the Qunari still seeming a bit shaky. Of course, that was common from anyone new to the...experience.

 

Folding his arms skeptically, the Iron Bull stared Dorian down. “I said I was knowledgeable about books, not about the actual practice…” Not that he wasn’t, but he didn’t want Dorian playing a trick on him - and the offer seemed very much like a joke. But then...the hope in Dorian’s eyes was becoming increasingly clear to him, and Bull sighed deeply.

 

“If I show you, you tell _no one_. I have an image to keep up, and while some people know about my lifestyle choices, it’s better that most don’t.” He shook his head. He was really doing this. He was just putting this all out there for some college kid. “And, again, _if_ I show you, we do everything my way. We take it slow, we go gently, and if you ask me to do anything that’s too off the wall I _will_ tell you no, and I _will_ tell you why it’s a bad idea.”

 

“And...and what if I change my mind?” Dorian, for all his forwardness, had the decency to look hesitant. Bull couldn’t help laughing softly, a little smile crossing his face.

 

“Then we stop, no harm done, no questions asked. He met Dorian’s eyes. “First rule - all of this is about _consent_. If you say no, it means no. And that’s why that shitty book pisses me off so much. It’s one big steaming pile of shit in the form of a rape fantasy...so.” Bull cleared his throat, eyes going to the coffee maker. This was ridiculous, but...if it kept Dorian from going on and trying to read or repeat anything regarding that book, he’d do it. And besides...he was cute, for a ‘Vint. “It’s up to you. No pressure either way. You just want your book, that’s fine. You decide later that you really are interested, that’s fine too. Everything is up to you.”

 

"Everything is up to me..." Dorian repeated slowly. Well, that was new. Someone so openly and freely giving him options and letting him decide for himself exactly what he wanted.  He couldn't deny that he was intrigued. The prospect of letting the The Iron Bull guide him, per se...was exciting if not a bit nerve wracking. "Very well. I'll read this book, and I'll also let you know exactly what I want in a few days...." He glanced at Bull's name tag, reading it under his breath. "...Iron Bull."  
  
"It's actually _The_ Iron Bull. With the article in front. Sounds a lot more badass." He said, leaning against his desk. "Come by anytime. I'll keep my eye out for you. Like I said, if you just want the Tethras book. That's fine. You still want to read that other shitty book? Whatever. I'm not going to stop you.” He paused, leaning over even closer, meeting Dorian’s eyes and smirked when the other young man averted his gaze.  “But hey. If you want The Iron Bull to show you how this all _really_ works, well, you know where to find me.”   
  
It wasn’t part of Dorian’s plan to take home ' _To Tame a Dragon_ ' and start reading it right away. He wanted to mull it over, maybe try to find a copy of _Fifty Shades of Grey Warden_ anyways, just so he could compare the two and decide for himself how shitty it was. But later that evening after he had crawled into bed, and stared up at the ceiling thinking about his encounter with Bull for a good thirty minutes the book just seemed to call for him. He picked it up, and read away two hours that seemed to simply vanish into thin air.  
  
The Bull hadn't been wrong in recommending it. It turned out to be magnificent reading. The author definitely knew how to pull you into the story, and spin you into its webs, refusing to let you put the book down until you reached the last page. The main character, a tall, charismatic bearded man with a sense of humor, turned out to be a dragon shifter. Not much of a surprise considering the title. However, that’s not what appealed Dorian to him. It was the alluring things that he did to his brooding Elven lover that had Dorian completely transfixed. If any of these things were what he was to expect from Bull (if he allowed him to ‘show’ him the ropes), he was definitely going to want to return back to the bookstore soon.  
  
Which Dorian did. He went back the very next day after class. He didn’t have as much time, considering he had to be at work within a few hours, but it would be late by the time he got off and he wanted to see Bull as soon as possible. It was cold again, and overhead dark clouds drizzled down onto the streets. He was shivering from head to toe once again, but he did not let that stop him. He entered the building, filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. For all he knew, Bull could have been teasing him the day before and he would look dreadfully stupid looking so eager.

 

The bookstore wasn’t empty that day - but it wasn’t full either. Bull’s usual crowd sat in, beanbag chairs all over and the scent of coffee filling the small store. The Bull himself was occupied behind the desk, glasses adorning his face once again as he tried to read through a book with font that was unreasonably tiny. Dorian strolled over, trying to appear casual as he leaned up against the desk.

 

It failed miserably as the Iron Bull looked up and grinned with sheer delight, clapping his hands together and practically yelling his name.

 

“Dorian!!” he cried, hunching apologetically when several of his regulars shushed him. “Dorian,” he repeated, just as enthusiastically but in a much quieter tone. “Good to see you. Did you start the book? What do you think? Is it--”

 

Dorian stopped him, sighing. “Yes, yes. I liked the book. It’s…” He bit his lip for a moment, clearly a bit embarrassed. “Well, I’m enjoying it so far. And I like the...material, that the author is discussing. Frankly, it’s made me want to consider your offer from yester--”

 

“Hey, whoa, big guy,” Bull said hurriedly, hushing him. “Workplace, remember? Decency. People don’t think I’m... _that_ kinda guy.” He laughed under his breath, leaning over the counter. “But...why don’t I give you my number? Shop closes at eight. If you still wanna talk about it…”

 

Dorian took out his phone to check the time. “I actually will be at work. I won’t get off until eleven.” He said, trying not to sound disappointed. “How long will you be up? I know you old men have a hard time staying up past ten o’clock, but if you’re still awake I could call you.”

 

“I’m not that old you know.” Bull grinned, stretching out his arm, glancing from Dorian to his phone in a quiet request to hand it over. Dorian handed it to him, and watched as Bull quickly typed in his name and phone number. “These damn phones just get smaller and smaller. There. Under ‘The Iron Bull’. You get out of work, just give me a call. If you’re still in we can sort out all the details. If not, you can tell me all about your favorite part in that book.”

 

Looking down at his phone screen with an amused smile, Dorian sent Bull a quick message with a winking face. “Why don’t you send me a text at eleven instead so I know I won’t be waking you. I just sent you a message so you should have my number now.” Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, his lips curled up in his signature grin. “I hope you realize what an honor that is. I don’t usually give out my number to just anyone I meet at the bookstore.”

 

“Only the cute ones right?”

 

Dorian laughed, a light sound that Bull found he really liked. Dorian crossed his arms, and made a point of obviously looking Iron Bull up and down. His grin turned playfully leering, having to make an effort not to break out into another laugh. “Oh precisely.”

 

Bull raised his brows and grinned in return. “Knew it.” He walked around to the coffee maker, and poured Dorian a cup of coffee. This time he took four packets of sugar, tore them right open and poured them in - the same number of packets Dorian had added the day before.

 

“Here you go.” Bull said, practically shoving it into Dorian’s hands. “It’s still cool out there. Stay warm.”

 

"I will." Dorian couldn't help the little blush that rose to his cheeks as the Bull's hands brushed his. As he hurried out of the little bookstore to get to work on time, he couldn't help but wonder...

  
Just what _did_ the Iron Bull have in store for him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will contain much smut to make up for all the teasing we've done here, fear not.


	2. Chapter 2

Krem stared at Bull as if he had grown another head or flowers had started growing from his horns. At this point, it seemed that Krem would have greatly preferred either over Bull’s news.

"You're _kidding_ right? You barely know this, kid." He said, voice laced with minor annoyance. 

He knelt down to reach into the fridge in the small break room that was situated in the back of the bookstore, grabbing what was left of his energy drink. It was after closing. Dalish had left thirty minutes ago, leaving Krem and Iron Bull to stay behind and finish some last minute paperwork and change the front of store displays.

As they worked, Bull brought up Dorian into their conversation and mentioned his plans to meet with him the next day. Somehow, the plan didn’t seem so terrible until Bull added that not only was Dorian from Tevinter, but he also of the Pavus house. In addition, it also certainly did not help Krem’s irritation listening to Bull gush about how pretty this boy was.

"You don't know anything about him."

"And you don't usually have such a problem with this." Bull said in an amused tone, waiting at the back door for Krem to finish gathering his things.

"Yeah, well, you don't usually invite Vints for playdates." Krem shot back.

"You do know you're a Vint, right? He's from Tevinter, just like _you._ " 

Krem scoffed, rolling his eyes as he made his way over to the door. He shut off the lights one by one, and doubled check to make sure the alarm was ready to be set. Not that they really needed an alarm. Most people didn't want to take the chance of coming in to steal and regrettably find out that it was an all nighter for Bull whenever he had to do some major display changes season to season and when major promotions came around.

"He's a Pavus.” Krem said as if that alone explained every reason why Bull needed to stay away. “One of the 'high and mighty, I'm better than you' families back home. Play with him, and you're going to find out soon that you're playing with fire. Don't come running back to me to douse the flames."

“Krem. He’s a pretty boy who wants to know a little more about rough sex. It’s not like I’m asking him to marry me.” The Bull leaned up against the wall, keeping a watchful eye on Krem. “What’s the problem with having a little fun?”

Krem fumbled for his keys, eyes locked on the floor as Bull spoke. “Nothing, chief. Go ahead, ignore me when I’m trying to save your ass. Have fun with your ‘pretty boy’, alright?” He didn’t wait for Bull to speak, hurrying out of the door with a hard slam. Bull watched even as Krem rushed to his car. Why should he be so upset over Bull sleeping with someone new? He hadn’t ever gotten so angry before…

Dismissing it as Krem having an off day, he looked to his phone, where Dorian’s name was the first on his list of recent texts. The plans were all set, they were going to meet at Bull’s place...but Krem’s words haunted him, just a bit. What could be so bad about this kid that it even made Krem react so strongly? He didn’t know, but he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, either. Steeling his resolve, Bull locked the door to the shop and headed out. Tomorrow night, he’d see just what he was in for.

The next day went without much incident - beyond Krem calling out sick in the morning, something that Bull doubted was true, things went smoothly. He texted Dorian his address, got a reply confirming they would meet, and by the time he left the store Bull was practically shaking with excitement. There was always something fun about showing someone new the ropes...

He arrived at his own house without a hitch, taking a deep breath. Dorian’s car was already in the driveway, too. He shuffled over to the other man's car and knocked lightly on the window.

Dorian looked up from his phone, sending off a quick message. He smiled, rolling down the window, leaning his head out of the small space. He clicked his tongue, pointing at the time on his car dashboard. "You're late." He teased.

Bull laughed. Steadying himself by placing his hand on the roof of the car, he leaned in close to Dorian's face, noticing with amusement as Dorian's face turned redder and redder the closer he got. Any closer, and he was sure Dorian was going to burst.

"Am I? Sure you're not just early?" He grinned. "Cause I'd understand. I like them when they're eager." He teased back, reaching down to open the door for Dorian. He was a gentleman when he wanted to be.

"Oh? Do you?" Dorian said, stepping out of the car. He couldn't move past that, with Bull still there, right in his space, so close that when he looked up at his face, he felt dizzy and warm. His stomach was a mess of nerves, as if had swallowed a bowl of butterflies for lunch instead of the garden salad he bought at his favorite cafe near his school. But even with his nerves threatening to make him piss his underwear, he was also very excited. The Iron Bull was...big. 

And Bull could read that, he could see it his eyes and the way he was holding himself. Good. That's what he wanted. He wanted to see some sort of balance; if he had looked too hesitant, Bull would have told him to go home and make sure he was certain about this before going any further. But if he wasn't even a bit nervous at all, Bull would have been concerned that he wasn't taking it seriously. 

From what he knew with their conversations, this was Dorian's first time dabbling into the lifestyle. And while making sure it would be enjoyable for them both, they couldn't do that if Dorian hadn't been serious.

"Dorian." Bull said gently, keeping Dorian there between himself and the car. "You're sure you still want this, right?"

Dorian couldn’t stop looking over the Iron Bull, eyes on his muscles and heavy build. His arms were practically bursting out of his shirt, and his hands…. He was thrilled, excited by the idea of the Iron Bull taking him, dominating him...yes, he absolutely wanted this. “More than sure,” he breathed, leaning up towards Bull. “Are you going to show me, or did you just want to stand here all night…?”

The Bull smiled, finally moving away from him and taking his hand. “Let’s head inside. We’ll talk rules. I just wanted to be certain first.”

The Iron Bull’s home was modestly decorated - nothing too lavish or over the top, much like his bookstore. Dorian immediately noticed a difference in his doors, however - slightly taller and wider than what he was used to. “I can't help but notice your doors, Iron Bull. Do your horns get in the way?” he ventured, a little smile on his face.

“Hah! Not with these adjustments.” Bull grinned and shut the front door behind Dorian, watching him. “So, you read those links I sent you, right?”

“Of course. I wanted to be prepared. Fascinating, really.” He tugged off his jacket, setting it down on one of Bull’s chairs. “So what are we in the mood for, then? Ropes? Gags? Whips? I’m up for anything, just--”

“What? Slow down there, pal. None of that tonight.” Bull leaned up against the wall, nodding to the stairs. “My bedroom. I’m gonna talk you through the basics, we'll pick a safeword...we’re starting slow. I’m not letting you get into anything you aren’t sure about.”

“I’m sure about it!” Dorian argued, puffing up a bit. “I know exactly what I want!”

“You didn’t even know what any of this was two days ago. Let me handle things...I’ll take care of you, but I need your trust.” Bull raised an eyebrow. “Come on. Maybe eventually, we’ll work our way up. But not tonight.” With that, the Bull headed up the stairs, dropping his bag onto a table on his way.

Iron Bull's bedroom was very much like the rest of his house, keeping with the simplistic theme and was fairly tidy. There was a dresser, a desk, a small bookshelf, and of course, a bed. His bed was definitely a focal point. It was huge compared to what Dorian was used to. He figured he could fit four copies of himself into the bed and still be more than comfortable. It was made up perfectly, without even a wrinkle or crease in the comforter. Taking another glanced around the room, he noticed the rest of it was very much the same in presentation. Neat. Orderly.

"Go on and have a seat on the bed. Make yourself comfortable." Bull grabbed the chair kept by his desk, and carried it over, setting it directly in front of Dorian on the bed. "There you go, let's talk first." He said as he sat down, leaning back into the chair. 

Dorian sighed, tapping his fingers impatiently against the corner of the bed. "I do hope you understand that I didn't come here to talk. I’m here for something a lot more physical."

"Listen, I get that. But if you read any of the links I sent you, you'd know before we go anywhere else, we have to set some boundaries and limits." Bull said firmly. Dorian opened his mouth to speak, but Bull cut him off quickly. "First off, we need a watchword. 'Katoh'. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, if you want to stop, if you want out, anything...you say that and we'll stop. No questions asked other than to make sure you're alright. Got that?"

"I suppose." Dorian mumbled, looking down at his hands. "Are we---"

Bull leaned forward on one knee, his fingers running gently over Dorian's chin and cupped it. He tilted it up, forcing Dorian to pay attention and meet his eyes. "Dorian." He said his voice soft despite the firmness of his demanding actions. "Say it then. I want you to say it. It's important."

Dorian kept his gaze even with the Iron Bull's, his fingers causing a small burn across his face. Leaning forward slightly, he gave a curt nod. "Katoh." He whispered.

Satisfied, Bull pulled back, leaning back into his chair. A smile grew across his face and he nodded. "Good." He said, his deep, even voice rumbling through the room. “Now, for the rest of this business, what I already mentioned when we walked in. Today we’re going to keep things simple. Warm you into this. That way you and I can figure out your limits. If you already know anything you aren’t going to be comfortable about, tell me. Communication is important. Alright?”

“Alright.” Dorian sighed, sounding exasperated. He was growing more and more impatient. There usually wasn’t this much talking going on between the men he usually fucked. Just a quick, ‘Do you have condoms?’ Then they went at it. Sometimes names weren’t even exchanged, as long as someone got their rocks off that’s all that mattered. 

Bull wasn’t phased by Dorian’s impatience. It just signaled to him that he was probably going to be a lot of fun to tease once they got into it. And Bull was definitely looking forward to that.

“Is there anything _else_ you plan on telling me? Your dog’s names, your life story, what you had for breakfast this morning? Or can we move things along to the main event?” Dorian questioned, leaning back on the bed. 

Bull grinned. “I don’t have a dog. They always get scared of how big I am. ‘Cept for the great danes, but I don’t think I could handle one of those.” Bull laughed and tugged off his shirt, twisting it skillfully over his horns. That recaptured Dorian’s interest almost instantly, the other man’s eyes practically glued to his chest. He stood from his chair and crawled into the bed, lying down beside Dorian and leaning in towards him. “Sure you’re ready for this?”

“I have been ready for the past ten minutes,” Dorian sneered, sitting up a bit to get into Bull’s face. “Would you get it on with already?”

That was enough confirmation for Bull. He shoved Dorian onto his back, sitting up at full height and glaring down at him. “No. _I’m_ the one giving the orders here. Not you.”

The sudden change in the Iron Bull’s tone, from easy and lax to overbearingly dominant, was enough to send a spark of heat to Dorian’s cock. He couldn’t help it - the Bull was so big. Maker, he might have felt intimidated if he weren’t so absolutely turned on by it.

“Clothes off.” It was definitely an order, not a question, but Dorian felt ready to push his luck a bit. He was curious to see how far Bull would take things…

“And if I don’t?” He put on his most defiant expression - ignoring the amused smirk that briefly crossed Bull’s face - and tried to sit up. Bull’s hand was back down in a second, pushing him back into the mattress with force.

“It isn’t optional. Take the clothes off before I tear them off you.” He meant every word. It spurred Dorian back into action, hurriedly tugging off his shirt and pants, hesitating on his underwear briefly. Bull growled lowly and those were off too, tossed over the edge of the bed with the rest of his clothing. He looked up at Bull eagerly then, heart racing as the Qunari smiled.

“Such a good boy. Follow orders, and you get rewarded…” He repositioned Dorian onto his knees and guided his head down between his legs. Dorian licked his lips as Bull tugged off his pants, the sight of his half-hard cock doing much for Dorian’s own erection. The Bull was larger than any man he'd had before, and Dorian felt overwhelmed with the need to have him. He leaned in to get a taste when Bull grabbed his hair, forcing Dorian’s head up.

“Fuck!” Their eyes locked again, and Dorian’s stomach did a flip as the Bull held him there, watching heatedly.

“Tell me how much you want to suck my dick,” Bull ordered. Dorian was silent, apparently for too long, because Bull gave another hard tug at his hair - the way Bull’s hand was placed, it didn’t hurt, but it got the point across. “ _Tell me._ ”

“Fuck, Maker, I…” Dorian’s words choked off momentarily, his embarrassment halting his voice for a moment. “I-I...I want to suck you off, the Iron Bull. I want it more than I can stand. Please, please let me...I just want to taste you, you and your delicious cock, _please…_ ”

“What a good boy…” the Bull practically purred, loosening his hold on Dorian’s hair just a bit as he pushed him back down to his cock. “So good at begging. I’d like to see what else I can get out of you…”

Dorian made a sound of acknowledgement as he finally got at Bull’s cock, slowly licking up the head to get a feel for him. His hard, musky scent was almost enough to send Dorian reeling. He’d had plenty of partners before, but never a Qunari...the idea of it was just so taboo, so forbidden, it made Dorian’s cock twitch again. He went at Bull’s cock with enthusiasm, then, giving a few more licks before finally taking the head into his mouth.

He had to open his mouth wide just to accommodate Bull’s girth, just the head already feeling a significant portion of his mouth. Dorian showed no signs of stopping though, even as a bit of drool spilled past his lip.

“Mmh…” 

Dorian’s quiet, satisfied moan made Bull’s stomach flutter with pleasure, and he carefully guided just a bit more of himself into Dorian’s mouth, curious. The Vint responded eagerly, looking up at Bull from under his hand with a mix of hunger and pure desire. It was hot as hell, and it took all of Bull’s willpower not to push him further, Dorian’s actions and the vulgar slurping sounds that he made around his cock bringing him to full hardness.

“That’s it,” Bull purred, making certain he didn’t forget to reward Dorian with praise. “Isn’t it so much better when you’re a good boy? I don’t have to be mean for you to enjoy it.” In the back of his mind, Bull hoped that Dorian’s sexual experiences weren’t all based around rough play and no praise. He’d have to ask...not now, though. He was enjoying Dorian too much at the moment, charmed by how hard he was trying to get more of Bull into his mouth.

“Whoa, careful there!” Bull held onto his hair again and pulled him off, the wet pop that sounded, sending a thrill through his body. Dorian looked a bit dazed, panting slightly as he licked his lips, slightly swollen from his hard work. “Don’t want you to choke...” He paused, laughing softly when Dorian’s frowned. “I wanted to save that for later.”

That got to Dorian, his frown twisting into an open mouthed stare. “Can we…?” he asked, sounding much too excited, hopeful nervousness in his voice...like he were ready to be shot down. Fuck, what kind of sex had Dorian been having before this? Bull abandoned his earlier attitude in favor of a new plan; nothing but praise for Dorian tonight. He should have noticed earlier.

“Hell yeah! I said everything’s up to you, didn’t I?” Bull smirked, then carefully helped Dorian to his knees. “Listen. I think you’ve got the wrong idea in mind. You want me to order you around, and that’s great. I don’t mind. But if you want something, you want me to hit you, you want me to choke you, you just have to say so...I can tell you like the idea of punishment, but it’s a lot more fun for me when you’re asking for it. I like ‘yes’ a lot more than I like ‘no’, even for play.” He grinned and nodded to the bed. “C’mon. Lay back. You’re gonna prepare yourself…”

“...oh?” Dorian hazarded a glance down to Bull’s cock, unable to fight off the look of concern that fluttered across his face. “Are you certain I can...?”

“What? Oh, no, not for _that._ ” Bull snorted and held up a hand. “C’mon, Dorian. My fingers are about the size of a regular man’s cock - we’re starting with that, going slow like I promised. I’m just giving you one, _maybe_ more if you really want it and I feel it's safe.” He gave Dorian a gentle little nudge. “Go ahead. Lay back for me.” 

 

“I didn’t exactly say I _didn’t_ want your fat, swollen cock in my ass.” And why wouldn’t he? Despite the fact that Bull’s size was daunting and slightly terrifying in an absolutely delicious way, it still excited him. “Only taking precautions.” He whispered, running his fingers slowly over Bull’s muscular thighs, his eyes dilating as his hand drew closer to the Qunari’s cock. His hand just faintly brushed against it before his hand was seized by Bull’s strong grip. 

Bull chuckled, a baritone rumble that would make any man’s heart skip a beat, as it did with Dorian’s. “Yeah, well me too. We’ll see what you can handle.” He pushed down Dorian onto his back, pinning him down by his shoulders. He took a second, and just really looked at Dorian. He really was a beautiful man.

“I do know one thing.” He said, his voice lowering. “Seems like you can’t handle what I tell you to do. I told you to lay back, didn’t I?” Letting out a soft growl, he ran a large hand down Dorian’s chest, his thumb brushing over a brow nipple. He pinched it roughly between his fingers, finally getting a response he could accept from Dorian. A gasp. So pretty from Dorian’s mouth it got Iron Bull’s cock twitching again. “Didn’t I?” He asked again, emphasizing his words with a twist of hand.

“Yes! Yes…” Dorian breathed out, rising slightly off the bed in a soft arch. “You did.”

“That’s right.” Bull hummed, moving his hand down farther. He continued to admire Dorian’s body, so soft, smooth, and lean. “Much better.” He ran his hand beneath him, rubbing his perfect ass, squeezing it, and drawing out a moan from Dorian doing so. Truth be told, his ass was even nicer than how it was advertised in the extremely fitting pants Dorian wore. Firm and tight, fitting quite nicely in Bull’s hand. He slipped a finger between his cheeks, pressing it against his asshole. He refrained from pushing it in, slowly rubbing it in small pressured circles instead. 

Dorian whined, rolling his ass back. He was frustrated with Bull’s teasing.

“Get on with it. Don’t tease me.” He demanded, spreading his legs in an open display. They had talked for what felt like hours, the last thing Dorian could stand for was to be teased, to have it dragged on and on when all he wanted was something...anything inside of him. His cock...his fingers... he didn’t care what it was at this point. 

“I told you, Dorian. I want to watch you prepare for me.” Just like that Bull’s fingers were gone, his warmth missing from the bed. Dorian started to sit up to see where Bull had gone, but he was pushed down just as quickly he did and a bottle of lube was dropped on top of his chest. 

“Don’t remember telling you to get up.” His voice was sharp, cutting into Dorian. He shivered, glancing up and meeting Bull’s eyes...eye. The Bull still wore his eyepatch, and Dorian wondered briefly where he had gotten it. Bull’s face softened. He reached down, gently running his thumb across lip and chin. “You’re doing good.” He said gently. “Go on. Spread your legs and show me how much you want me.” 

Dorian gave Bull a once over before picking up the lube and popping the cap open, smearing plenty on his fingers as he opened his legs for Bull, letting him see everything. He loved how Bull watched him so hungrily, clearly wanting more but holding himself back. He couldn’t help himself. Something about being watched was so...exciting for him. And the way Bull treated him, with such gentleness, wanting him to say _yes_...it was unlike any other partner he’d had before. They all preferred his token struggles, an overbearing ‘no means yes’ attitude to all of them...not Bull. Already he had shown that he wanted more, that there was _supposed_ to be more…

The thoughts were too deep for sex, and Dorian shook them away as he teased his entrance with his fingers, moaning as he finally slipped one in. He looked at Bull eagerly, panting slightly as he fucked himself open slowly, giving Bull a show. He made certain to be loud, noticing when Bull’s hand went to his cock to stroke himself. Good. He wanted Bull to want him. He wanted that big cock in him, maybe not tonight but eventually. He added another finger, looking to Bull for approval as he bit his bottom lip, groaning.

 

“That’s it…” Bull encouraged him. “Keep it up, Dorian… You look really fucking hot, fucking yourself for me. Look at you,” He growled, stroking himself a little harder. “All hot and bothered from me watching you. Tell me what you want. Do you want me to fuck you until your voice is hoarse from screaming?”

“Fuck, yes.” Dorian loudly moaned, fucking himself faster, his legs shaking as he kept anticipating every word Bull said, and imagining it, craving for it. “No more of this. Just fuck me.” He pleaded. 

Iron Bull grinned, “Still so impatient, big guy.” 

“I’m an impatient man. We’ve established this. It comes with the name.” Dorian huffed, lifting his hips suggestively towards Bull. He used both hands to spread himself, hoping to entice the qunari.

It worked. The Iron Bull was definitely enticed. His hands grabbed at his hips, and yanked him roughly down into his lap. “Lemme just make sure you’re ready for me.” He said, flipping Dorian over onto his stomach. He pushed Dorian’s pretty face into the sheets, and raised his hips so that he could get a better look at his asshole, manhandling Dorian into compliancy. 

Dorian loved it, his body trembling feeling Bull’s hands slide up between his thighs, his body tensing for a moment when he stops and pauses between his legs. He wasn’t sure how he was going to survive the night if Bull continued to play with him that way. Stopping and starting. Giving only to pull back and dangle what he wanted most right in front of him. 

Just as Dorian thought he’d have to resort to pleading again, The Iron Bull’s hand gently squeezed his balls, fondling him. His hand didn’t linger there. Bull’s hands continued up, one large hand over one perfect ass cheek. He squeezed them, appreciating the way Dorian took in a sharp breath. He rubbed them slowly, pulled his cheeks apart and buried his face into him, surprising Dorian who gasped beneath him. 

Only taking a ‘small’ taste, Bull ran his tongue over Dorian’s hole slowly. ‘Testing’ rather or not, Dorian had prepared himself enough for him, he pushed his tongue against him, keeping a firm grip on Dorian despite how hard he was trembling.

“Oh fuck!” Dorian gasped out, his fingers scratching at the cottony sheets. He pushed his ass back against Bull’s face, ever so disappointed when Bull pulled away and the heat of his wet tongue inside of him disappeared. “What are y--shit!”

Bull cut Dorian clear off with a very abrupt slap to his ass, the sharp sound of his hand meeting skin ringing in Dorian’s ears. Dorian yelped, his face turning as red as the bright handprint covering his ass. He hadn’t expected that. It sent a thrill straight to his cock, pre-cum leaking from the head. He pushed his ass back, wanting…

No. Needing….

He needed Bull to do it again. Needed to feel the light sting of pain on his ass, needed Bull.

“Like that?” Bull purred, hand gently massaging Dorian’s ass. “I’ll do it again if you want. Do you?”

“Please…” Dorian turned his head back slightly, pressing his ass against Bull’s hand. “More, _please_ …”

“Eager, I like that...” Without hesitation, Bull gave Dorian’s ass another smack. Dorian could hear Bull laughing over his surprised cry, free hand going to Dorian’s cock. “Maybe I could make you come like this, huh? Maybe you don’t even need my finger this time…” As tempted as the Bull was to make Dorian come without anything from him, the other man had already prepared. Might as well take him all the way. He started stroking Dorian quickly, noticing that he was almost too far gone to care as long as he got to come.

“No, please, I need it,” Dorian panted, breath coming in short gasps as Bull helped him along. “Again, hit me again… _harder_.”

“Bossy…” Bull teased, bringing his hand down a few more times in quick succession. Dorian screamed underneath him, a wide smile on his face as Bull continued.

“C-Close, I’m so close, Bull…” Dorian whined, and Bull resolved to let him come quickly. The poor man already looked close to bursting.

“Wait,” Bull said, whispering into Dorian’s ear as he pressed a finger against his entrance. “Once I get it in, then you can come for me. You can scream my name and make a mess of the sheets...just a little more patience…”

But Dorian’s patience had run clear out. He let out another irritated whine, and completely unsurprising to Bull, attempted to push his ass back against his finger.

“I can’t wait... I can’t. Please.” He pleaded, voice thick with longing and need.

Merciful, Bull didn’t make Dorian wait no more than a moment longer. He coated his fingers generously and ate up the loud moan that fell from Dorian’s lips as he finally began pushing a finger into him. Dorian had never had one single finger feel so amazing. Just one of Bull’s fingers alone was thick, long, and meaty, filling him in a way he could never had imagine. Bull moved it in and out of him, slick and hot. All Dorian could do was bury in his face into the sheets, twisting his his fingers into them and hold tight.

“Damn.” Iron Bull whispered huskily, “You just suck me right in.” He smacked Dorian’s ass again, each time he did it stung a little more, but it felt so fucking good. A second thick finger is pushed in, and Dorian felt like he was burning up. By the time a third finger pushed into him he’s already undone, feeling so full that words could barely form in his mouth, crying out series of letters that made no sense at all.

“Doing so good Dorian, go on. You can let go now...” Bull said, gently running a hand over the side of his hip while he continued to fuck him with his fingers. “Come for me, scream my name when you do.” His voice was so gentle, yet firm that Dorian let out a small sob from his words. 

“Bull... _Bull_ ,” Dorian panted, his voice a bit hoarse from all of his pleading. He opened his mouth to say Bull’s name again but instead let out a wordless moan as stars burst behind his eyes, orgasm hitting him at full force. He heard Bull mumble something appreciative, too far gone to understand as his come splattered across the sheets below him.

“That’s it,” Bull said, continuing to ease Dorian through his peak, still moving his finger slowly. “Let it all out…”

He caught Dorian twisting his neck to see him better, eyes half lidded as he panted, still catching his breath. He looked cute that way, and Bull wanted to pull him in for a kiss, but...he had only just met the kid, and he had a feeling that Dorian wouldn’t be comfortable with such close contact after such a short time.

 

Instead, he simply reached forward and gently ran his fingers through Dorian’s hair, smiling as Dorian leaned his head back into it.

“You did great, Dorian. How was it?”

Dorian turned himself around, looking up at Bull’s face, then down at the proud erection still clearly standing between the Iron Bull’s legs. 

“I didn’t realize we were done.” He breathed, wrapping thin fingers around the base of Bull’s cock. He bit his bottom lip, sucking it slightly between his teeth, and glanced back up at Bull meeting his heavy gaze.

“We are. If you want to be. You don’t have…”

Shaking his head, Dorian stroked his cock slowly, and smiled up at Bull, face still flushed which just endeared Bull even more to him. “Oh...I want to. Allow me.” 

Bull laughed softly, leaning back against the headboard. “How can I say no to a face like that?” He said, gripping Dorian’s soft hair again, tangling his fingers between strands and gently guided him back down between his legs.

“You’re not supposed to. That’s the point of having a face as adorable as mine.” He said, parting his lips wider when the head of Bull’s cock brushed against them. He didn’t waste time, Bull was already hard, already more than ready for him. He took Bull’s cock in his mouth, pleased that Bull hadn’t forgotten what he said earlier. Pushing Dorian down as far as he seemed he could handle, he held his hair a little tighter, and slowly started fucking his mouth. 

“Fuck, you look really good on my cock.” The Iron Bull said, Dorian’s warm, wet mouth pulling a growl from his throat. His thrusts were shallow but rough, his cock sliding across Dorian’s tongue and down his throat until he gagged. He loosened the reigns when he did so, not wanting to go too far with it. Not yet. Another time. Just like everything else. Instead, he took his pleasure in the moans that vibrated around his cock. 

Dorian let out a pleasant moan and Bull felt his dick twitch. He was close now, too - watching Dorian work hadn’t left him unfazed, and he could feel his own orgasm pooling in his belly rapidly. His hands gripped Dorian’s hair and pulled, forcing him back just a bit.

“I want you to swallow all of it,” Bull ordered, groaning softly when Dorian looked up at him with delighted eyes. “Like that, huh?”

“Mhm…” Dorian closed his eyes, swallowing around Bull once more as he moved his hands from the Qunari’s thighs to his cock, helping to stroke him to orgasm. 

“Shit…” Bull groaned, tilting his head back as he finally released into Dorian’s mouth. The other man looked please even as some spilled past his lips and dripped down his chin. He continued to swallow around Bull’s softening cock, finally pulling off with a wet pop and looking up at Bull with a gentle smile.

“Good?” Dorian asked.

Bull gave him a wide lazy smile, loosening the grip in Dorian’s hair in favor for giving his cheek an affectionate pat.

“Very good.” 

Dorian smiled, now satisfied and rolled over onto his back. He waited hardly a couple of minutes before he pushed himself into a sit, and started searching for his clothes. He wanted to avoid any awkwardness of having to have Bull tell him to leave now that it was over.

“What are you doing, big guy?” Bull asked after watching him for a good minute.

Sighing, Dorian stood up from the bed. He looked down at Bull a little off put by his question.

“Well I can’t drive home naked, can I?” He said, pulling his shirt over his head.

“Drive home…?” Bull frowned, reaching out to Dorian and gently taking hold of his sleeve. “I wasn’t _that_ bad, was I?”

“...what?” Dorian frowned. “No, it’s not you. I just thought…well, it was my assumption that you wouldn’t want me to stay the evening. Usually no one does.”

“Just call me unusual, then. I don’t feel comfortable letting you go home alone so late at night. It’s a weekend, live a little!” He gave Dorian what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I’ll cook you breakfast if you stay. Don’t even have to cuddle with me - though I’ll keep you warm if you do want to.”

He watched with hopeful eyes as Dorian slowly moved back down to sit on the bed, watching Bull carefully. “You...you aren’t just playing a joke on me, correct?”

“Of course not!” Bull sat up. He would have felt offended were it not for Dorian’s continually more and more apparent history with his sexual partners. “Stay in my room, stay in the guest room, stay on the couch - as long as you’re staying, that’s what I want.”

Dorian watched him for another moment, and Bull met his eyes. After what felt like a long time, Dorian finally exhaled. “Very well,” he said, laying down and pulling himself under the covers. “I’ll stay.”

“Good.” Bull yawned and stood up from the bed, sighing. “I’m gonna get some fresh sheets, and then we can turn in for the night.” He paused then, leaning in a bit. “And hey. This was a lot of fun for me - you were really great. I hope you enjoyed it, too.”

Surprise flickered across Dorian’s face before he masked it, and Bull inwardly marveled at how well Dorian seemed to cover his emotions. “What are you on about,” he said, shaking his head and blushing. “You’ve already gotten me into bed, you can stop with the compliments.”

“Nah.” Bull laughed. “It’s not about that. It’s about respect...another time,” he conceded, another yawn over taking him. “Maybe tomorrow we’ll talk about it...for now, sleep.”

Dorian was strangely quiet, even after Bull had changed the sheets and crawled back into bed beside him. He was trying to understand Bull. All of it felt strange. He couldn’t recall one time that he had been asked to stay. It was different, but nice. Bull was literally a personal heater, laying there next to him. Dorian waited for Bull to fall asleep before scooting closer, finally allowing himself to stop thinking too much into it and sleep.

He didn’t realize that Bull was still awake. 

Iron Bull smiled when he felt Dorian shift closer. He pulled the blankets over Dorian’s shoulders, just to make sure he was warm enough, and at last followed Dorian into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful comments and kudos! It means a lot, and we really appreciate it! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning had gone alarmingly smoothly. For all of the nervousness he had shown, Dorian had slept soundly through the night, allowed Bull to shower with him - making the excuse that he needed the Bull to wash his back - and had even stayed for breakfast before heading off to his class. He and Dorian had discussed a bit more about safewords and boundaries, and Bull was surprised to find that Dorian really HAD read the links he'd sent. It was comforting to Bull, who invited Dorian to come back whenever he wanted. The other man had laughed but admitted that he'd consider it before heading home.

 

Bull got ready for work afterwards, heading to the book store in a better mood than usual. Everyone noticed, including his regulars. Sera, who never actually  _ read _ anything but always had her nose in her sketchbook, was the one who chose to comment.

 

“Skip in your step today, Mr. Bull. Had a night out on the town?” she teased, a huge grin on her face. Bull snorted and tossed a pencil at her, which she caught deftly.

 

“If I did, it sure isn’t any of your business.” It was all in good fun, though, and Bull knew it. He loved his regular customers, and they loved him. He looked around, finding no sign of Krem and wondering if he had called out again. “Seen Krem today?”

 

“Yeah. He said he wanted to work in the back. Had to  _ focus _ and all of that, he said.” Sera sank a little deeper into her bean bag chair, sticking out her tongue and wrinkling her nose. “I asked him to bring me some sugar for my coffee, some of the  _ good _ kind I know you two keep in the back, but he said he was too busy. Kinda mean about it too! You should tell him off, you’re the boss man, right? So that’s your job, telling him off when he’s rude to paying customers. Like meeee!”

 

“I don’t think you’ve actually bought anything since you came in here a year ago,” Bull said, grinning when Sera tossed one of her pencils at him. “Cut Krem some slack, though. He’s getting over a cold, he’s allowed to be a little grumpy.” Inwardly, Bull worried - Krem getting irritated with him was one thing, but to be upset enough to treat their customers rudely...their conversation couldn’t have caused a reaction this severe, could it have? “I’ll go check on him. And I’ll bring you your sugar.”

 

Sera whooped, loudly enough to be shushed by some of the others, and she settled down in her beanbag. “Thaaaaank you, Mr. Bull,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. He snorted and turned away, about to step into the back when he caught sight of the front door opening. Damn. Well, he could check on Krem after he greeted this customer, no harm in that.

 

“Hey there!” Bull waved casually and walked over to the desk. “Welcome to the Bull’s Eye bookstore. Can I help you find anything?”

 

“Actually, yes.” The man had a haughty smirk on his face, leaning over the counter a bit as he spoke. “You wouldn’t happen to have a copy of  _ Fifty Shades of Grey Warden _ here, would you?”

 

_ Not this again _ .  _ What the fuck was wrong with kids these days?  _ “I would never carry that kind of book in my store,” The Bull said firmly, meeting the man’s eyes. “But I’d be more than happy to recommend you something better than that trash.”

 

“No need. I happen to be a fan of...that sort of trash.” He laughed easily, and Bull found himself already disliking the man.

 

“It’s horribly written,” Bull countered. “And not at all representative of--”

 

“Yes, yes, I’ve seen the complaints on the internet.” The man waved him off. “If you don’t have it, I’ll take my business elsewhere?”

 

Bull groaned. At least he could get rid of one of the copies that had been donated, since the man wouldn’t take anything else. “No, I’ve gone one. As much as I hate it, I’d feel worse knowing I made you pay twenty-something for that shitty book. We’ve got donated copies, I’ll give it to you for free.”

 

“Really?” The man grinned. “You really  _ do _ want to get rid of it...it’s for my boyfriend, anyway. He’s been curious, and I figure reading this will help to show him the ropes.”

 

_ Bullshit _ . Bull bit his tongue on that, knowing that starting an argument would get him nowhere. He ducked under the counter to his unprocessed donations box and pulled out a copy of the book, setting it down on the counter harder than he’d meant to. “Cover’s a bit wrinkled, but no damage otherwise. I’ll need to see some ID before I hand it off to you. Explicit material, minors, you know…” And if this jackass hurt anyone because of what he read in the book, Bull could offer some helpful hints on his identity.

 

The man shrugged and passed over an ID - from a different college, interestingly. Somewhere in Tevinter. “Marcus Metilius…” Bull muttered, quickly checking to make sure the man was, in fact, over 18 before sighing and handing his ID back. “Alright, Marcus. Book’s all yours.”

 

“Hey, thanks a ton. I’m sure my guy and I will love it.” Marcus smirked and picked up the book, giving Bull a halfhearted wave before strolling out of the door. Bull watched him go, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself.

 

“Hey Mr. Bull! Can you get my sugar now that you’re done scaring off customers?” Thankful for the distraction, Bull turned back to Sera with a smile and waved her off.

 

“I’m going, I’m going…” Right, there was still the matter of Krem. Shaking off the last of his anger, Bull strolled into the back to towards the break room, coming across Krem opening heavy boxes full of books with a box cutter. Bull was sure Krem heard him walk in, yet Krem refused to say anything until Bull made it very obvious that he wasn't going anywhere.

 

“Have fun last night?” Krem mumbled, continuing to work as he talked.  

 

Bull leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. There was still some bitterness in Krem’s voice as there had been before. He didn’t sound like he actually cared to know the answer, but Bull was going to give it anyways, and with a smile.

 

“I did, actually. Kid was lot of fun. Who knows, we might meet up again.” He said, watching Krem roll his eyes. “But hey, enough about me. Feeling any better?”

 

Krem stabbed a box particularly hard in answer, shooting the Bull a look. "What do  _ you _ think?"

 

“Right.” Bull whistled, pushing off of the wall. He had never seen him so worked up before, at least not towards Bull. Sure, they occasionally bickered and argued, but it was all playful. There was never any real bite in anything they said to each other. Krem was his right hand man, and his right eye, the one man he knew he could count on to have his back. So for him to be this upset, it just didn’t add up. “I’m assuming that it has nothing to do with actually being sick then. No fevers, no runny nose, no throwing up all over your shoes?”

 

Krem yanked the cutter out of the box, pointed it towards Bull. 

 

“No. I was definitely sick.” He insisted. He set the cutter down, and ripped the box open the rest of the ways with his bare hands. Bull raised his eyebrows and sighed, kneeling down beside him, ignoring the dull ache in leg.

 

“Alright Krem de la Cremè, I’m biting. What the hell has crawled up your ass recently? What did I do?” 

 

There was a brief moment where Krem paused, and it seemed that Bull was going to get a real answer. He waited patiently, ready to fix whatever he had done. Even it wasn’t specifically Bull’s fault, Bull was determined to do what he had to do to make it better.

 

“I…” Krem began. Bull leaned in intent on hearing all he had to say, but then Krem shook his head. He quietly sighed, pushing the open box to the side and reached for another to open. “Nothing. You didn’t do anything. I’m happy for you, boss.”

 

"You don't sound happy," Bull accused him softly, gentle but firm. Krem wouldn't look at him now, something like shame showing on his features.

 

"Yeah, well, I've been sick. Makes me sound a little different." Krem had closed himself off again, no longer willing to breach whatever issue he had, and Bull carefully brought himself back to a stand. He didn't understand. Was this still about him and Dorian? Did Krem have some problem with the Pavus house specifically? Had they hurt him in some way? The Bull knew better than to push, but...

 

"You can't pretend to be sick forever," Bull advised him, moving to the counter to grab some sugar for Sera. "But if you need a long term excuse to be pissed about things, I recommend going with the classic 'I have chronic migraines’ excuse. Works wonders to make people shut up when you're mad." The Bull smiled, trying hard to lighten the mood. His heart lifted a bit when Krem finally smiled - small, but it was genuine.

 

"I've always been more of a fan of 'I got an unexpected bill in the mail', myself. At least then sometimes people give you free money." Krem stood up, moving to Bull's side and looking up at him. "Thanks for...not being a jackass about it, chief."

 

"Anytime. Still dunno what 'it' is, but I'm sure you'll tell me when you're ready." Krem was looking at him oddly, an expression that Bull couldn't pinpoint all over his face. He would call it 'hope', but there was too much anger in it - like Krem still wanted to say something but held it back for his sake. " _ If _ you want to tell me," he added, relaxing internally when Krem's expression softened.

 

"Maybe. But not now." Bull waited for a ‘not ever’ to end that sentence, but Krem just shrugged. "Just keep me posted on that Pavus kid. I don't trust him." Without waiting for Bull to answer, he turned away and went back to opening boxes. He still looked burdened, but Bull knew that he wouldn't be able to help for now. With a sigh, Bull gave Krem a gentle pat on the head and made his way out of the break room with Sera’s sugar in hand. For now, it was back to work - at least that would keep his mind off of things.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A few days passed. Dorian neither came back or texted during those days, leaving life at the bookstore to settle to some kind of normalcy. Krem seemed in better spirits, though there were times when Bull would catch him looking with the same expression as the days before, like he wanted to say something but he couldn’t. Bull continued to let it go, waiting for Krem to come to him on his own.

 

The weather was getting colder. The wind bitter and cruel, making the winter day even more unbearable. Bull, much like he always did, was quick to fill a shivering customer’s hands with a cup coffee or hot cocoa for the kids. He was scolded by Skinner for giving them out so freely, encouraged to start charging for a cup if they were going to become a cafe as well as a bookstore. It was probably a good idea, but it wasn’t what he was in business for. If the Bull wanted to sell coffee that’s what he would have done from the beginning.

 

He was perfectly fine with getting a smile out of a freezing person as payment instead. 

 

Occasionally, while handing the drinks out, Dorian would drift into his thoughts,  he’d make the mistake of almost adding four packets of sugar to the cup for him, just to remember that the coffee wasn’t for him. It was those times that he wondered how Dorian was; if he was ever going to come back around, or if their night together was going to be a one night thing not to be thought of again. It wouldn’t kill Bull if he never came back, but he wouldn’t lie and say he wouldn’t be ecstatic if he received a text from Dorian or had him walk through the doors, with his nose and cheeks all flushed from the cold.

 

Lucky enough for Bull, he did. 

 

Bull was helping an attractive elf pick out a poetry book full of raunchy poems while Krem worked the desk when the bell at the front door chimed, making them both aware that someone had walked in. He didn’t noticed it was Dorian right away, too busy talking with the blond man about which book had the most lascivious poetry while still retaining some class. 

 

“You see in this one, the imagery the poet uses is so erotic and sensual, you can feel the soft warmth of her thighs on your cheeks.”

 

“Well then, I am most definitely sold. I believe my lover will most definitely enjoy this one.” The elf grinned, taking the book from Bull’s hands. “I will have to let you know how it goes, my friend.” He let out a rich laugh, Bull joining in with a pat to the man’s shoulder.

 

“Good luck. I’ll be waiting on that report.” Bull smiled. “Krem will help you up at the register. Come back soon, buddy.”

 

“Will do.” He winked, walking over towards the Krem.

 

With the man seemingly satisfied, Bull walked over to the customer who had just walked in, pleasantly surprised when he realized it was Dorian.

 

“Hey! Dorian! You’re back.” He boomed, obviously delighted to see him. “Was starting to wonder if that was going to be our last time.” 

 

“Yes, well, I  _ do _ have a life outside of you,” Dorian teased. Bull was about to make a playful comment in return when he caught sight of Dorian’s wrists beneath his sleeves - the skin was practically purple from bruising, even looking slightly torn in places. Dorian noticed too late where Bull’s eyes had gone and tried to tug down his sleeves, but Bull was already clearing his throat.

 

“What happened?” he asked gently, keeping his voice low. His eyes were now cataloguing every mark on Dorian’s body that hadn’t been there before, every bruise and hickey and burn that he could see around the other man’s sweater. They weren’t from him, that was for sure.

 

“That... _ Grey Warden  _ book,” Dorian said, trying to smile as he tugged up the collar of his turtleneck. “You were right about it. It was terrible. Haha…” It was a forced laugh, and Dorian looked ready to cower when Bull reached out a hand.

 

“Dorian, what  _ happened _ ?” he tried again, frowning when Dorian stepped out of his reach. “Hey...it’s alright, I’m not upset. I’m not going to hurt you Dorian, I just want to talk--”

 

“ _ Katoh _ ,” Dorian said swiftly, closing his eyes. Bull was so startled that he dropped the books he had in hand, and even Krem looked over from the other counter. “Please, stop. I would...prefer not to talk about it.”

 

It was like a punch to the stomach for Bull, but he didn’t push. He had promised, after all...and it looked like the last thing Dorian needed was more broken promises. “Alright,” he said, trying to keep his own voice from shaking. “We won’t talk about it...can I get you some coffee?”

 

“Coffee sounds wonderful.”

 

Bull nodded and gestured to some of the chairs littered around the bookstore, and Dorian walked away to sit down. With a sigh, the Bull scooped up his fallen books and moved to the coffee machine to grab Dorian a cup, looking over when Krem approached him. 

 

“I heard what he said,” Krem said, not looking at Bull. “What happened?”

 

“I don’t know,” Bull answered honestly. “But I’m worried. I need to take my break and talk to him. Can you handle the front of the store while I do?” Bull braced himself for an argument, but Krem only nodded at him.

 

“Yeah. I can take care of it.” Krem gave him a half smile, patting him on the arm. “Take as long as you need.” He could still see the hint of worry in Krem’s face, but now wasn’t the time to push it. He dumped four packets of sugar into the coffee -  _ finally  _ \- and stepped out to sit down by Dorian, pushing the coffee across the table to him.

 

“Thank you,” Dorian said, his eyes to the table as he took the coffee. They sat in silence for a while, Dorian watching the street outside while Bull watched him. He couldn’t help it - even with the huge sweater, Dorian’s bruises were plainly visible in many places. Even his face… “I finished the Tethras book,” Dorian finally said, his tone conversational.

 

“Oh yeah? How’d you like it?” Bull smiled, forcing his eyes to Dorian’s and nowhere else. He’d said ‘katoh’, and if Bull wanted his trust, he  _ had _ to respect that.

 

“It was enjoyable. I liked it a lot.” He said, raising the cup to his lips. The warmth that emitted from it and the pleasant coffee smell, was somewhat comforting. His shoulders visibly relaxed as he took a small sip. “I really appreciated...Red was it?”

 

“The bearded one?” 

 

“Yes, the dom. Red. He was different. No matter what he and Fenrir did, you could tell he was very caring of him. If Fenrir asked him to stop. He stopped.” He said, his voice wavering and sounding bitter. His grip around the cup visibly tightened. He stared into it, frowning. Bull could read the hurt in his expression. It only worried Bull all the more so. 

 

“There was no question about it. He was loving and kind. He..”  _ He was like you.  _ Dorian fell silent, realizing how upset he was getting, knowing Bull had probably already noticed. He took a small breath, setting his cup down and leaned over towards Bull. A smile settled back across his lips, like it was so easy to switch from emotion to emotion. A flip of a switch and he could be who everyone knew him to be.

 

Unfortunately, Bull knew better than to believe it. He opened his mouth to make a comment about Red. He wanted to tell him that that’s exactly what it was supposed to be like, and that anyone who didn’t respect their partner wasn’t worth his time. Before Bull could utter a word however, Dorian was quick to speak again.

 

“Bull…” He began, biting his lip and briefly meeting Bull’s eyes. “Are you free tonight. After you get off?”

 

“I…” Bull’s eyes went to the window, his heart pounding. Dorian looked so...vulnerable. The bruises, if nothing else, were an indication to Bull that Dorian didn’t need more sex. He needed a friend. “I am. But not for sex. Maybe we could just grab a movie or something?”

 

“...oh.” Dorian’s face fell, and he looked away from Bull, disappointment clear on his face. “No. No, I...that’s not really what I’m interested in tonight. Another time, maybe.” He gave the Bull a weak smile, trying (and failing) not to make him feel guilty. “Although, if you have any more Tethras books…”

 

“Oh!  _ To Tame A Dragon _ is actually a trilogy,” Bull said helpfully despite the pain in his chest. He wouldn’t push Dorian to hang out with him. He would just leave it as it was - if Dorian wanted to change the subject, Bull would let him. Pushing wasn’t going to help Dorian open up, as much as Bull wanted to do just that. “Varric published the first one thinking it might not get picked up, but it became a bestseller and he got to write the other two.”

 

“Really?” Dorian brightened considerably at this, probably excited at the opportunity to get lost in that fantasy world all over again. “Please, tell me you have them in.”

 

“Well, the third one’s not out yet. It’ll be released in a couple of months - I  _ do _ have the second though, and some other one-off novels by him. You can have them on the house.” Bull gave him a little wink, leaning over the table. “As long as you promise to come back in and tell me what you think?”

 

“You say that as though I didn’t intend on doing so in the first place.” Dorian’s smile was easier, less burdened, and as he finished off his coffee Bull felt just a little better about things. Maybe if Dorian were engaged in the books, he wouldn’t go out seeking...whatever he had to get those marks. “But, I promise. I’ll be back within a week to tell you how much I loved them.”

 

“I’m liking the positivity, big guy!” Bull grinned and stood up from his seat. “I’ll go get them for you. You just wait here - I’ve got some spare copies in the back.”

 

Catching up to Bull before he could reach the door to the back, Krem walked up along Bull’s side and intercepted him.

 

“Wait. Chief, hold on.” He cleared his throat in efforts to get Bull’s attention. “Can I talk to you for just a second? It will be quick, I promise."

 

"Sure, Krem." Bull looked down at him, then inclined his head to the door. "Come on to the back, we can talk while I get some books."

 

"Right. I'd like the privacy anyway." It was the way that Krem said it that put Bull on edge - something in his tone screaming hesitation and worry to Bull. Had Krem also gotten hurt in some way? Was this what he'd been trying to tell Bull all along? Shaking off the thoughts, he started to the back and waited for Krem to follow. The other man would tell him now. That was all that mattered.

 

Krem closed the door behind him, standing there looking at everything in the room but Bull and his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, and twisted them into his shirt, shifting from foot to foot, obviously uneasy. When he didn’t speak right away, Bull walked over to rifle through some boxes for Tethras’s other books. As nervous as Krem looked, he wanted to give him some time to sort through his thoughts and find his words. 

 

While he was bent over two boxes, trying to figure out which one had the books he needed in them, Krem found his courage, and walked over behind him. His figure casting a shadow over Bull, letting him know that Krem was ready. He turned around, looking up at Krem with a small reassuring smile.

 

“You okay there, Krem? Did something bad happen? Cause if you need me to kick someone’s ass just let me know and I’ll write them in on my growing list of bastards who need someone to knock them around a bit.”

 

Laughing, Krem shook his head. 

 

“Nothing like that, chief. Unless you want to kick my ass. I’ve been a bit of a dickbag recently, don’t know if you noticed.” 

 

“You said it, not me.”  Bull grinned, shrugging his shoulders. Slightly relieved, he was glad to at least no one had hurt him, physically or otherwise. He kicked someone’s ass plenty of times for Krem, and he would do it again over and over in a heartbeat, no question. “But hey, no hard feelings Krem Brulee. I’m guessing you’re going to tell me what’s been going on then now.”

 

“Yeah…” Krem said slowly, inhaling deeply and then slowly breathing it out. “Yeah, I guess I’ve just been kind of nervous about asking you.”

 

“That tough, huh?” Bull placed a careful hand on Krem’s shoulder, watching him. “Take your time. I’m not going to judge you - whatever this is about.” The Bull’s stomach was doing flips again, his mind racing. Even though Krem had said no one was hurting him...what else could there be? Krem didn’t get nervous about asking him much. There had been one time that Bull could recall off the top of his head when he had hesitated about asking for some vacation days, but even that didn’t match up to the concern he heard in Krem’s voice now. “Nothing you say could make me think less of you. You know that.”

 

“I do…” Krem laughed quietly, his eyes on the floor. “Shit, this is...harder than I thought it would be. Not even sure where to start.”

 

“Can you tell me what this is about?” Bull asked. “That would be a good place.”

 

“...us. It’s about us.” Nervousness shot through Bull as Krem finally met his eyes. Had  _ he _ hurt Krem? Was that it? He couldn’t think of anything else that could cause this kind of reaction in Krem.

 

“Oh.” Bull couldn’t think of anything else to say. Besides, it was probably better to let Krem talk instead of coming up with his own ideas. It could be anything. He had to keep positive. “...go on?”

 

“Yeah…” Krem’s eyes went to the wall as he shuffled his feet, biting at his bottom lip. “Listen, chief...all the bullshit I’ve done this week. The shitty attitude, the rude comments...I figured out the reason, but I wasn’t sure you’d like it. I thought I was jealous, at first. I thought maybe I was just upset that you were getting laid and I wasn’t, you know? But then, it...I guess…” Krem shrugged his shoulders, breathing deeply. “Fuck.”

 

Bull felt his heart rising into his throat. This was...not the kind of conversation he had expected to be having, if Krem was going where Bull thought he was. “So...the reason?”

 

“I’m getting there,” Krem snapped, regret immediate in his face. “Sorry. This is hard for me.” He paused, collecting himself as he folded his arms, looking up at Bull. “I tried. You know, I went out and found someone’s thirsty ass on Tinder and I had a good fuck. But I was still angry, and...I figured out that I was upset because...because you were getting laid. With...with someone else.”

 

“I’m gonna need you to be a little more straightforward, Krem,” Bull said, not without kindness. “You were upset because…”

 

“ _ Fuck _ Chief! Do I have to spell it out for you? I was pissed because you were fucking  _ him _ and not  _ me _ ! I was pissed because he was taking up all of your attention, and because I…” Krem gritted his teeth, still not looking at him. “Because I didn’t even get to ask you out on a stupid date before some other guy picked you up. That’s why.” Krem finally met his eyes, face reddening with every second. “That straightforward enough for you?”

 

“Well shit…” Bull muttered, scratching the back of his head. Straightforward? Bull was completely shocked. He never would have thought coming in today, coming in five years from now, twenty years from now, a hundred...he never would have thought that Krem had any sort of feelings towards him beyond friendship. It’s wasn’t that the idea was unappealing, he simply never expected for Krem to feel that way.

 

He didn’t know how he had missed it. He was good at reading people, took pride in it. He could pick apart a lie just by watching the way a person glanced to the side, and scratched their ear. It was a skill. Yet somehow, he failed to see such an important development happening right beneath his nose with his closest friend.

 

“I...I didn’t see that one coming.” He saw Krem’s face fall with his words, and quickly backtracked. “Hey, not a bad thing though. I just...I just need a minute.” He said. “To process.”

 

“Don’t know how you could miss it,” Krem mumbled, echoing his thoughts. He looked ready to turn and walk away now that he had said his piece. “Been trying really hard to be obvious, you know. I left chocolate on your desk that one time, a few weeks ago. Don’t know how you couldn’t see  _ that _ .”

 

“That...that was  _ you _ ?” Bull snorted. “You didn’t leave a note, how could I know? And hey. I only have one eye… You probably put it on my blind side.” Krem froze at that, looking at Bull with complete shock before bursting into laughter, doubling over.

 

“Fuck, chief, that was  _ terrible _ !” That got Bull laughing too, and in his fit he dropped his books for the second time that day...which only made them both laugh harder. Bull finally collected himself after a long moment, taking a deep breath as Krem leaned against the wall, still grinning stupidly.

 

“Alright, alright.” Bull said, picking the books back up. He had found the ones he wanted to bring back to Dorian, but he wasn’t done with Krem yet. “So when are you taking me on this date?”

 

Krem froze, eyes wide for a brief second before narrowing in suspicion. Surely, Bull was still joking with him. 

 

“Very funny.” He said, laughing dryly. He made a turn for the door, but paused, glancing back at Bull with a small smile. “I gotta get back out front, wouldn’t want anyone to run out the door with that new Peterson novel. Plus, Cassandra usually gets in about this time and she has an order to pick up.”  He made a move to open the door, the joints creaking after the many times that Bull had forgotten his own strength and slammed the.

 

“Hey wait, hold on.” Bull said, gesturing for him to shut the door as he walked over. “You know, I’m completely serious Krem. I want you take me on that date.” He understood that Krem was hesitant. Shit, he was too. This was a whole new territory for them. Dates and fucking...they were never really a thing he worried about. He never fussed over what to wear, or let it bother him when he was rejected. But this was Krem. It changed it all, and even he had to admit it was a little weird for them.

 

Krem looked up at him, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

“You do?” He asked skeptically. 

 

His hands full, Bull gently nudged him with his elbow, grinning down at him.

 

“Of course, I do. You’re a pretty hot piece of shit, and I think it’d be fun.” He shrugged. 

 

Resisting the urge to break out into a huge smile, Krem raised a brow, looking Bull up and down. 

 

“And what about Dorian?”

 

Right. Dorian. Well, the two of them weren’t really in a relationship. Hadn’t even been on really much of a date. Bull liked Dorian. He liked him alot, and he definitely would like to see more of him. But there was nothing cemented about their relationship whatsoever that said he couldn’t go on dates with handsome guys.

 

“Krem, we fucked and I like talking books with the guy. It’s nothing serious. The only thing you should be worrying about is if your wallet can handle my appetite. And you better not take me anywhere cheap. I have standards.” He grinned.

 

Krem laughed at that, rolling his eyes. “You should know what’s in my wallet, you’re the one who puts the money there.” He snorted, leaning against the door. 

 

“True.” Bull chuckled. “So, come on. When are you picking me up?” He asked again.

 

“I...I dunno. Are you free Friday?” Krem paused, frowning. “What the fuck am I saying, you make our schedules, of course you’re free Friday. Friday evening!”

 

“Friday evening,” Bull agreed, his spirits lifting. Already Krem looked happier, a weight off his shoulders from telling Bull the truth. “What’s good? Eight o’clock? That way we have time to get ready after work.”

 

“Sounds good to me. Maybe I can ask my boss to let me off a little early.” Krem winked, and Bull snorted.

 

“I’m  _ sure _ he’ll be able to give you that...”

 

By the time Bull came out, Dorian’s chair was empty and he was gone, nowhere to be seen. Cassandra walked up to Bull, carrying a few books that held close to her to her chest.

 

“Oh hey Cass, good to see you.” He said, looking over her shoulder and around the room, hoping that maybe Dorian had just wandered off somewhere between the stacks. “You wouldn’t have happen to see--”

 

“If you’re looking for that boy, you’re wasting your time Iron Bull. He left a few minutes after I walked in. He told me to tell you that he was sorry for leaving so soon, and that he’d message you.”

Bull sighed, trying to shrug it off. Dorian had seemed flighty since they'd met - it wasn't surprising to Bull that he'd run away the second things didn't go as he planned. "Got it," Bull said, a note of displeasure in his voice as Cassandra set her books on the counter. He gave her a smile as he looked them over, putting himself in the moment to get thoughts of Dorian out of his head. "Oooh, that one's  _ dirty _ . You sure you're into that?"

 

Cassandra made a disgusted noise but pushed the books forward a bit more insistently, her jaw tight and a blush on her face. "I did not ask for your commentary!"

 

Bull laughed, charging her for the books and nodding to the coffee as she started to pack her things, pleased when she actually chose to take a cup and sit down for a moment. This was good. He had his store, and he had Krem. If Dorian came back in, that would be nice; but it wouldn't break Bull's heart if he didn't. Some closure gotten, the Bull settled back in his chair to start reading something on his own, the quiet of the store easing his mind.

 

If Bull had known then what would happen to Dorian, he would have chased after him without a second thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought you were getting an easy Adoribull fic. And you thought wrong. More to come!
> 
> As a note, I (addyrobin) am very new to AO3's system, so I'm not the best at tagging things. I'm leaving that much up to my co-author, but I'll try and put warnings up at the top of chapters for anything I think you should know! And if you think there's something I've missed, you're more than welcome to leave a comment so that I can fix it up~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Only for brief mentions of unsafe sex

Bull checked himself out in the mirror. He looked pretty damn good for the date with Krem. Hawaiian prints always looked good paired with white suede shoes, and the red in his striped pants brought out the red flowers in his shirt. He had even draped one of those pine-scented car air fresheners on his right horn for good measure. He glanced at the clock on his wall, watching the minutes tick away. He was a little early getting ready, leaving him with about half an hour before Krem was supposed to come by. 

With nothing else to do for the moment, he picked up the book he had left off in and sat down on his couch with a beer on the table. He was completely immersed into the world the book created, when his phone went off in his lap.

He closed the book shut, set it over to the side, and reached for his phone. Assuming it was Krem letting him know he was either already there or running a little late, he answered it without bothering to look at the screen.

“Krem! How’s it going?” Bull grinned. “You’re not calling to cancel on me, right?”

“Ah, it’s...this isn’t Krem.” 

Bull felt his stomach drop as he heard the voice on the phone, looking back to the display and reading Dorian’s name with some surprise.

“Oh, uh, hey Dorian. Sorry, I didn’t read the display. Krem and I are going out tonight and--”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” The way Dorian said it so hurriedly had Bull’s heart pounding. This couldn’t be good. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you, calling was a mistake. I should just…”

“No, no, hang on there, big guy.” Bull tried to speak in his most calming voice, hoping Dorian would calm down enough to tell him what was going on. “You aren’t bothering me. What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“I...I thought I was,” Dorian said, his voice too monotone for Bull’s liking. Something was very wrong. “But I...I don’t know. My ex dropped by without warning, and he’s already done it twice this week, but you know how it is when you care about someone despite how they might have wronged you in the past and you can’t say no to them in good conscience, and even though we only had to chat and have some dinner tonight, I just feel so…” He could hear Dorian’s shaky sigh and knew the decision was already made. He didn’t want to cancel on Krem, but… “Please. I don’t believe I’ll actually do anything with them, but I don’t feel safe here alone, and me being this...distressed.”

Yeah, that did it. Bull stood up from his chair, trying not to sound as worried as he felt. “Don’t worry. I’m gonna come over there right now, okay? You said he didn’t hurt you, right?”

“No, no. He wanted to...to have sex, but I turned him down this time.” This time. The words brought some bile to Bull’s throat. “It wasn’t very pleasant the other day, ahah...never was with him, but you know how it is. People just want to do what they read in books.”

“His fault, huh.” Bull held the phone to his face, his lifeline to Dorian. “I want you to wait for me in your living room. Just sit on your couch, put on the TV or the radio, and try and keep your mind off of it until I get there. We can talk more then. Alright?”

“Yes…” Dorian sounded defeated, taking a shaking breath. “Don’t worry. As I said, I don’t plan to do anything. It’s just the...the thought of it.”

“I’m glad you called me,” Bull assured him. “Even if you didn’t think you’d do anything, you were right to. Better safe than sorry.”

“...thank you.” The relief in Dorian’s voice was almost tangible, and Bull wished he were already there so he could hold the other man.

“Yeah. I’ll be there soon.” With that, Bull hung up on Dorian and scrolled down to Krem’s number. When he called, there was no answer - presumably, Krem was still getting ready for their now cancelled date. He could hear his voice, and the rest of the Chargers, on Krem's voicemail message, laughing as Krem attempted to tell the caller to leave a message. He heard Rocky's distant shout of "Come back to bed, Krem!" before the beep sounded. At any other time, he would have laughed at that.

“Hey,” he said, trying not to sound as panicked as he was. “Krem, listen, I’m so sorry about this, but...I need to cancel. It’s not you, I promise, and I’m not getting cold feet, but...a friend of mine is having a really bad evening, I’m scared he’s gonna hurt himself, and I...I need to go over there and make sure he’s gonna be okay. We can reschedule, right?” He paused, wishing that Krem would answer so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings. Everything about this situation was a mess. “Listen...I really have to go, but I’ll try and call you later if I can. Please don’t take it the wrong way, Krem. You know I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I had to.”

Bull hung up again and shook his head, trying to clear it as he hastily grabbed his things. Krem would understand. He had to.

Bull let it go for now. There would be plenty of time to worry later, but Bull didn’t dare just ignore this and risk Dorian doing anything he might regret. Even if he said he had no plans to...the Bull shook his head. Thinking about that would only scare him. He grabbed his keys and rushed to the car, ignoring the speed limit completely as he sped out of his neighborhood.

He considered grabbing some food for Dorian on his way but decided against it, guiltily thinking of the dinner he would have had with Krem. It was going to be fine. Krem would understand. He always did. Even if this was...very, very different.

When Bull finally arrived at Dorian’s house, he couldn’t exit the car fast enough, knocking hard on Dorian’s door and feeling a surge of relief flood through him as he heard Dorian’s quiet answer of ‘Coming.’ So far, so good…the door swung open without warning, and Bull jumped slightly when he saw Dorian.

The other man didn’t look at all like himself, his usually perfect hair a complete mess and the makeup that he wore smudged terribly. Even his moustache was unkempt...but, on the brighter side, the vivid bruises that Bull had seen before seemed to be fading. Still, Dorian looked utterly exhausted, and Bull wanted nothing more than to pull the other man into his arms.

“Come in,” Dorian finally said, opening the door a bit wider for Bull. “Thank you for coming. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important…” Bull didn’t answer, instead only shrugging as he stepped inside. No need to make Dorian feel guilty - he had enough on his plate as it was. “I’ve put some extra blankets on the couch, and I’ve got some popcorn. We can watch a movie, if you’d like.”

“Whatever you want, big guy,” Bull said gently, his eyes never leaving Dorian’s body. He was in big pajamas that hung awkwardly on his body and made him appear even smaller in the Bull’s eyes, the baggy pants covered in cute images of puppies and kittens. In any other circumstance Bull would have commented on them. Now, though, he allowed Dorian to guide him to the couch without question, where they both sat down in silence.

Bull took the opportunity to slowly pile blankets onto Dorian, a little grin spreading across Dorian’s face as Bull steadily turned him into a blanket cocoon. 

“This is going to make it rather difficult to use my arms,” Dorian commented, arching one eyebrow. “Is this to keep me from picking the movie?”

“More to make you comfortable, but that’s a real good point. I can pick the cheesiest rom-com I know, and you’ll be powerless to stop me,” Bull joked, but fell quiet when Dorian’s expression twisted into worry. “...shit, Dorian, I’m kidding. We can watch anything you want, I didn’t mean--”

“No, no, I understand,” Dorian said hurriedly, turning his head away. “I’m sorry. It’s not about the movie. The phrasing, just...well…” Bull let the silence grow between them, carefully loosening the blankets around Dorian while the other man gathered his thoughts. “Perhaps it's best I tell you about why I called you. You’re probably wondering what happened.” It was a topic that Bull had assumed they would avoid, but Dorian seemed like he wanted to get it off his chest. Leaning back on the couch, Bull put one arm around Dorian and pulled him a bit closer, blankets and all.

“I’m listening.” Bull gave Dorian’s arm a reassuring squeeze, and Dorian sighed, nodding his head.

“You see, my...my ex-boyfriend is in town,” Dorian began. “The situation has always been rather...rather odd. Not bad, but odd. I had never been particularly interested in dating him, but in Tevinter the pool was rather limited, and I accepted when he offered. We had sex, mostly. That was really the extent of our relationship - a good fuck whenever he wanted it. Not quite as good for me, but I should have expected as much.” Dorian laughed halfheartedly. “Marcus was only ever interested in personal gain, and my pleasure was always an afterthought for him...if even that.”

Adrenalin shot through Bull at the name. Marcus. He had heard that name recently - the man who had visited the bookstore. But that Marcus had talked about a boyfriend...not that he put it above the man to cheat, given his choice in literature. Bull said nothing for the moment, letting Dorian continue.

“Anyhow. Marcus and I ‘dated’ for about a year, but eventually I gained just a bit of sense and decided we weren’t really...compatible. Small dating pool or no, I could do better than him.” Dorian’s shoulders sagged, and Bull could see his hold on the blankets tightening. “I broke up with him. Or, I, ah. I tried to break up with him.” 

“Tried?” Bull frowned. “It didn’t work?”

Dorian smiled weakly, shaking his head. “Marcus is very strong willed, and not the brightest bulb in the shed. I’m sure there were other ways I could have gone about it that would have gotten him off my back much more quickly, but...but no, I decided I just had to be up front He hadn't done anything to deserve less.” Bull somehow doubted that but kept silent. Better to let that slide.

“I remember it perfectly. I brought Marcus to a cafe we both liked, bought him coffee and sat down with him outside. I didn’t want to disturb anyone in the event that he got loud or profane. I said, ‘Marcus, you have always been a dear friend to me, and I cherish that, but I don’t believe we’re romantically compatible. I think it’s best we see other people.’ He nodded and didn’t say anything, and I was...caught off guard, to say the least. Marcus is...confident. Confident and outspoken.”

“But he didn’t raise his voice. He just...he laughed, quietly, and then said ‘no thank you’.” Dorian paused, his shoulders growing tense. 

“He did what?” Bull had to turn his gaze away from Dorian, resting his head against the couch. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I didn’t understand either. I asked him to clarify, and...and he said breaking up had to be a ‘joint decision’. He didn’t even seem to be threatening me - it was his genuine perspective on relationships and how they worked. No clue where he got the idea from.” Dorian laughed, though there was no joy in it. “Anyhow, I may have been a bit naive in my youth, but not that much so. I knew perfectly well that he couldn’t force me to be in a relationship, so I got up and walked away. I assumed we were over, but...Marcus didn’t see it that way, predictably.”

“Did he...did he stalk you?” Bull ventured cautiously, not wanting Dorian to lose his nerve. To his surprise, Dorian laughed again.

“Hardly. A text once in a blue moon, ‘how are you, darling,’ that sort of thing. But never anything invasive. He didn’t show up uninvited or try and threaten me into seeing him. I assumed he had a screw loose and left it at that. Didn’t even bother blocking his number.” Dorian bit his bottom lip, growing nervous as Bull feared he might. “...well.”

“Well?”

“He called me, about a week ago, and said he was in town and wanted to see me. I thought, perhaps, he might have finally given up on the whole dating nonsense and agreed to meet him. He...he had a gift for me.” Dorian snorted, looking both irritated and amused. “A copy of Fifty Shades of Grey Warden. And he informed me that he ‘understood the nature of our open relationship,’ but really wanted to try some of the things in the book with his boyfriend.”

Fuck. Of all the shitty coincidences, Bull had to be right in the middle of this one. He sat up and started to talk but Dorian raised his hand, shaking his head. “Before you start panicking, I agreed to it.” Dorian sighed. “I know that I shouldn’t have, but...I was horny, Marcus had never been a terrible fuck, and despite what you told me I was...still curious about the stupid book. And Marcus is...truly, he’s harmless aside from his odd notion of relationships. So I said yes.”

Dorian sighed. “I won’t get into details, but...Marcus enjoyed our little get-together much more than I did. He wasn’t actively malicious about anything, but we did what he wanted, and my desires didn’t come into play. The rope was done up horribly, the man can’t properly choke someone to save his life, and he doesn’t know a thing about giving a good spanking.” Dorian tried for a halfhearted laugh, but went quiet when Bull just stared at him like his heart was breaking.

“When it came down to it, Marcus only cared about his own pleasure. I didn’t...I didn’t like that.” Bull had to look away from Dorian, the hurt on his face putting knots in Bull’s stomach. “When he came over for dinner tonight, I suppose I was just a bit put off. Nervous. I didn’t want to do that again. So I told him to get out, and then I called you. And...and now you’re here.” Dorian finished his story with a deep sigh, not looking very relieved from sharing. “Thank you for coming, again.”

“Thanks for sharing,” Bull responded gently, keeping Dorian close. “Does any of it still hurt?”

“No, no. It really only looked bad,” Dorian assured him. “Physically, I’m fine. It’s the emotional side of things that I’m…” He sighed. “After that, all I could think about was you, and how you treated me.”

“I only treat you how you deserve to be treated, Dorian.”

“Well, you would be the first.” Dorian laughed softly. The bitterness was evident in his voice, and the way his shoulders slumped. “You couldn’t begin to know how much it means to me…” It was more personal than he had meant to be, and he felt embarrassed by his comment, clearing his throat in attempt to clearly move on before Bull could reply to it. “Ah...perhaps you should pick out that movie now. You might have to let me free for a moment however so I can throw the popcorn in the microwave and get us some drinks.”

“If you just tell me where everything is, I’ll do it all. No need to get up. You should take it easy. Relax. That’s what I’m here for.” Bull said, rising to his feet. He didn’t want Dorian to feel like he had to push himself or go out of his way to play host for him.

Bull felt some relief when Dorian was able to coherently tell him where things were, making the popcorn with ease as he cleaned up the remnants of Dorian's dinner. It had worried him that the other man would be too shaken to do much at all, let alone instruct Bull on how to clean his house, but Dorian already seemed to be a little better for telling him what had gone on.

Eventually, kitchen clean and refreshments prepared, Bull returned to the couch and set the bowl of popcorn into Dorian's lap. He dropped two cups of water onto the table and grabbed the remote, flicking through the channels until he found something suitably easy to sit through.

"Aw, hey, Krem loves this movie!" Bull said warmly. "He and I would always..." Bull trailed off as he was reminded of Krem, their cancelled date still weighing heavily on his mind.

"Bull?" Dorian looked at him, worry clouding his features. "Would...would you like to put on something else?"

"No, no," Bull said hurriedly. "No, I just...I think we should talk a little more about the shit that's going on with you. The movie's just good background noise."

"Ah." Dorian nodded and looked to the TV, quiet for a moment. "What do we talk about, then?"

"Uh...oh! You left before I could bring you your books the other day. I brought them in my car. We could read?" Bull wanted to talk about Dorian's situation, but he was afraid of spooking the other man. After what he'd been through, the Bull didn't want to push in any way that could hurt...

"I appreciate the thought, but...perhaps I can read them later." Dorian paused, still not looking at him. "Since we’re doing all of this talking, I was actually rather hoping to talk to you about...well, about you and I."

"That so?" Bull raised an eyebrow and settled into the couch carefully. He could feel his heart racing. If Dorian asked for anything...he had Krem to worry about, but turning Dorian down seemed like an equally bad idea given his current situation and why he had called Bull over. "What about you and I?"

"I know what you're thinking," Dorian accused him gently, and Bull could see him tangling his hands in a blanket. "And it's not like that. It's simply...I don't have many close friends out here. I've come to highly dislike my current job, school is a burden on its own, and...between all of that and Marcus, I simply can't stand..." He paused, and Bull realized that Dorian wasn't looking at him because he was beginning to cry. "Oh, maker, don't look at me, just let me finish," Dorian said hurriedly, and Bull obligingly looked at the TV.

"I'm not judging. Go on," Bull said gently, reaching over to pat Dorian's shoulder.

"Yes, well..." Dorian sighed. "I can't stand my situation. I had hoped to change it. I hadn’t thought much about how...but you and your bookstore gave me some ideas.” Dorian paused for a long time, long enough that Bull wasn’t certain if he would continue or not without prompt. He opened his mouth to speak just as Dorian started to talk again. “I’ve noticed that you and your workers get along extremely well, and, well, you and I get along very well - at least I think so.” He looked to Bull for confirmation and Bull nodded.

“Right. So you wanna spend more time at the bookstore?” Bull asked, still looking at the TV for the moment.

“You could say that.” Dorian stopped and took a deep breath. “I realize it's unorthodox, but...with how much I enjoy your company, I thought I should at least try and...well, try. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

It dawned on Bull that Dorian was likely trying to work up the courage to ask him...whatever it was he was trying to ask. He shook his head patiently. “Nothing wrong with it at all. What do you need?”

Dorian was quiet again, and Bull worried for a moment that he might stop speaking altogether at some point in the conversation. It reminded him a little of Grim, who was fond of starting sentences that he never finished.

“Bull...would you consider hiring me at your bookstore?" There was hope in Dorian’s voice beneath the nerves. "I...I understand that it's an odd thing to ask, and very sudden, but--"

"Shit, yeah." Bull didn't even think it over. He didn't really have to. With the bookstore getting busier, he'd been considering hiring someone new anyway. "I usually hire people I know anyway - the Chargers are all long time friends. I think you'd fit right in as long as you promise to actually work..." 

Dorian didn't answer at first, and Bull felt his hold on the blankets tighten. "...really?" Dorian finally asked, his tone cautious. "Just like that? You'd hire me?"

"Just like that," Bull agreed. "I call them like I see them. No reason why you wouldn't fit in - at the very least, we can give it a test run right?" He thought again of Krem, and his dislike of Dorian...but it would be fine. They weren't fucking now anyway, and he and Krem would go on their date after this. It seemed a good way to introduce the two of them, knocking a large chunk out of Bull's current worries.

Dorian even began to relax a little, nodding his head slowly up and down, staring intently at the TV screen. “Right.” He whispered. “Exactly.” He said, sounding a little more hopeful as he mulled it over. “I am majoring in library science after all. Not quite the same, but there’s a relative line somewhere in there. If you look hard enough. Books. Lot’s of books either way.”

“Hell yeah there is. And even if there wasn’t I’d draw that fucking line for you personally.” Bull laughed. “You just tell me when you want to start, big guy. We’ll get the paperwork all filled out and start your training right away.”

“Marvelous…” He said, managing a smile. He was truly beginning to feel start of excitement bubble in his chest. “I’m off tomorrow, but I'll go into work anyways, and leave my two weeks. Then make it back to the bookstore and we can start."

“Sounds good to me. You sure you don’t need a day to rest though? I don’t want you to push yourself.” Bull asked with concern, looking over to Dorian.

“Absolutely not.” Dorian shook his head. “Keeping busy helps keep thoughts I prefer not to dwell on at bay.” And be damned if he didn’t want to think about all of this anymore.

Bull leaned back against the couch, satisfied with the answer. He knew exactly how that worked. He was the same way. Work it out. Sometimes that meant hitting it out. As long as he was moving, doing something, keeping his mind focused, he could keep going.

“Then I’ll see you at ten, then.”

The rest of the night went on a lot better. Dorian didn’t say anything else about Marcus, and Bull didn’t probe. Instead, their attentions drifted to the movie, and Dorian’s occasional complaints to the terrible acting. At some point, taking slight offense because it was a movie he and Krem watched over and over together, Bull threatened to make his uniform plaid pants and a purple shirt. Just like that, Dorian’s disses died down to the occasional jab sprinkled in here and there..

Dorian unraveled himself from the blankets, once the movie ended, and the credits started rolling up the screen. He stood up, and stretched, reaching up towards the ceiling. He looked a bit like a cat, agile and graceful in even the most simple of movements. He looked down at Bull, met his eye and smiled.

Bull was glad to see it. Maybe everything would be okay, and things would work out just fine. With Dorian soon to be working at his side, he could do his best to help keep it that way.

“Thank you again for coming over, Bull. I really do appreciate it.” Dorian said, in a way that announced that the night had come to an end the same time as the movie did. Which was fine, Bull probably needed to head back anyways. Despite the fact that he left Krem a message, he still wanted to check on him after leaving Dorian’s, see if he still wanted to do something with the rest of the night or reschedule their date entirely.

“No problem. I’ll be here for you anytime you need me. You give me the call, Dorian.” 

“Yes, yes. I know you will be here in the knick of time. Next time I trip and scrape my knee I’ll even have you play daddy for me.” 

Bull raised his brows, a big ‘ol grin taking up much of his face before he let out a hearty laugh. It seemed Dorian had even regained a bit of his humor. Bull liked that. He got up from the couch, looking over Dorian and casting a shadow over the man’s face. Dorian stared up at him, a hint of a smile on his face. 

“I’ll play daddy whenever you want.” He joked.

Dorian laughed softly along with Bull, feeling some warmth return to his cheeks. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Dorian walked him to the door, pulling up at the collar of his shirt, still a bit self- conscious about the remaining bruises.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dorian said, leaning up and pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Bull’s lips before Bull even realized what he was doing, and why he was being pulled down. “Goodnight.” Just as quick, Dorian stepped back behind his door, waved and closed it shut, leaving Bull to stare blankly at the apartment door a whole minute before he moved.

By the time Bull was drove up the driveway of his house, he had texted Krem a few times and gave him a call to see where he was, and if he wanted to Bull to meet him somewhere. They all went unanswered. Bull was worried that Krem was angry with him for skipping out on their date, but thankfully Krem’s car was in the driveway when he got there, bringing him some relief.

He figured Krem was probably up waiting for him on the couch, playing that space rpg he liked so much. He had been the one to buy it for Bull after all. And with the number of times Krem came over to play, he had the notion that he honestly bought it for himself to play on his system. It wasn’t like Bull had played it all that often. It was fun, but it was hard enough as it was to hit all those little buttons with his large hands.

He walked to the door, wishing he had known that Krem was here. He could have stopped and brought dinner for them to eat in. With some take-out and a few beers, the date night could have been salvaged. At least there was always delivery. That, or Bull could whip something up real fast in the kitchen.

The front door was unlocked when Bull tried it, leaving Bull to wonder how long Krem had waited, expecting him to walk through the doors. It was dark in the house save for the light coming from the TV in the living room. Bull walked over, finding Krem curled up on the couch. His arm was hanging off the couch, fingers only inches away from the console’s controller that sat all by itself on the floor. Bull assumed he drifted off, waiting for him. He must have been more tired then he let on earlier at work when Bull had asked that afternoon. He hadn’t even paused the game. Music still played in the background as his character bounced on his toes and rolled his shoulders. Bull figured Krem had to have fallen asleep not to long ago for the system to still be on, and not shut off from the inactivity.

As worn out as Krem looked, Bull didn’t bother trying to wake him up. He felt guilty enough as it was, seeing him there all alone, knowing that it was his fault. Thankfully, he knew Krem was a heavy sleeper. He wasn’t going to head to bed with Krem sleeping on the couch. Instead, he carefully scooped the young man into his arms, holding him close to his chest. 

“I’m so sorry, Krem.” He whispered, looking down with fondness at the man in his arms. 

Bull set Krem down on his bed, being cautious not to wake him. He pulled the blankets over his body, tucking him to make sure he wouldn’t get cold during the night. Kind of like Dorian, Krem wasn’t all too fond of being cold. And Bull knew from experience that Krem would fight for the blankets if it meant not having frozen toes during the night.

Before leaving the room to change into a pair of pajama pants, Bull left a small kiss on the man’s forehead, smiling down at him. He was so damn handsome. Bull was lucky to have him. He was damn sure going to make sure that he made the night up to him.

Retreating to the bathroom, Bull changed and got ready for bed. He could have stayed up, but he didn’t want his moving around to wake Krem from his sleep when he obviously needed it. They could talk in the morning, and Bull would sort everything out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking around so far and for all the comments, kudos, and bookmarks so far! We really appreciate it, and it makes me very happy! 
> 
> I think it should be noted that we, me(ch3rryshortcake) and addyrobin fought over the air freshener. I STILL think Bull needs to find a better way to keep fresh, maybe invest in some nice cologne. 
> 
> We're not done yet, more KremBULLee and Adoribull coming up in future chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

Krem awakened to the delicious smell of bacon frying, permeating the air and wafting into the bedroom all the way from the kitchen. He glanced over to the clock hanging from the wall to check how late in the morning it was. Thankfully, it was only a little after eight. Good. He wasn’t late for work yet.

He got up, finding he was still completely clothed, and realized quickly that he wasn’t exactly in his room. Sitting back down at the edge of the bed, he took a minute to recall the events from the night before. Or the lack of. He was supposed to have come over here, picked Bull up, and then the two of them would have gone out for their date. Their first one. As weird as it was to put Bull and date in the same sentence, he had been excited. And then it didn’t even happen.

He came over, right on time, expecting Bull to be waiting, but was disappointed when he wasn’t there. His disappointment only grew as minutes ticked by, and then a few hours until he finally fell asleep in front of the TV. That’s all he remembered. He guessed Bull must have been the one to move him to the bed. Honestly, he didn’t even want to talk to Bull at all, but he knew it’d be impossible to sneak past the big guy. Plus, the bacon really did smell good. Knowing Bull, there was probably eggs and hashbrowns to go along with it. Pancakes too if Iron Bull was really feeling guilty.

Finally, after thinking how much he was going to dread sitting across from Bull at the table, Krem moved back off the bed, and dragged his feet towards the kitchen.

“Good morning, Krem!” Bull greeted over the crackling oil in the pan. The Iron Bull had heard him the moment he stepped out of the bedroom. Not that Krem was surprised - Bull seemed gentle, but there was still a trained warrior underneath his friendly exterior. No one ever snuck up on him unless they wanted to lose a limb.

Krem said nothing save for a low grunt as he slid into a seat at the dining table, wanting Iron Bull to know just how pissed he was about being stood up. Bull turned to him with a grin that was too bright and joyful for the situation, nodding to the plates of food that were already on the table.

“Help yourself,” Bull encouraged him, whistling as he turned the bacon. “I need a few more minutes on this.”

“Yeah. I’m sure you’ve got all the time in the world,” Krem said bitterly, just loud enough for Bull to hear. Bull laughed quietly as he moved another pan - there were side-dishes, like Krem had predicted, and Bull was keeping them warm on the other burners as he managed the bacon.

“Come on, now, go easy on me.” Bull finished turning the food and finally looked at Krem, frowning when the other man refused to meet his eye. “Krem...I’m sorry about last night. You know I wouldn’t have cancelled if it weren’t really an emergency.”

“You _didn’t_ cancel.” Krem gripped the edges of his chair, restraining himself from getting up and getting into Bull’s face. “That’s the problem.”

“...what?” Bull took a step forward. “No, I called you and left a message. You didn’t pick up, but I thought…”

“Whatever you _thought_ was wrong.” Krem turned his chair even more away from Bull the closer the other man got. “I got here early, and nothing - no phone call, no note, just an empty house and your car gone. I don’t know where you went, chief, but I don’t really care. If you weren’t up for this, all you had to do was say so.” Krem bit his bottom lip, nose scrunching up. He was _not_ going to cry about this.

“Krem, it’s not like that…” Bull stayed where he was, reading Krem’s body language well enough to know that he should keep his distance. “My phone’s old, there wasn’t a lot of signal...I tried to call you, but I should have tried harder. This is my fault, not yours…” He wanted to reach out and touch Krem, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, he returned to the food, watching as Krem visibly relaxed. “I didn’t want to cancel. There was an emergency…”

“Oldest trick in the book,” Krem said, still tense. “There’ll probably be an emergency again if I ask you on another date - which I _won’t_ , because you’re a jackass.”

“I _am_ a jackass,” Bull agreed, checking the food tiredly. “The biggest jackass in the world who doesn’t deserve to explain himself to such a great guy after treating him like crap...”

“ _Hey_ . I’m supposed to be insulting _you_ , cut that out.” Krem hunched his shoulders, shooting a glare at Bull. “It makes it mean less if you’re doing all the shit talking for me.”

“Right, sorry.” Bull sighed. “But it _was_ an emergency. You’re not gonna like this explanation, but…” He trailed off, finally finished with the cooking, and brought everything to the table - bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and pancakes. A full, proper meal for a proper apology. “Let’s eat while we talk.”

Despite his anger, even Krem couldn’t turn down a good meal. Bull situated himself across the table, and Krem got to work on his eggs. If all else failed, he could just sit here and eat his feelings away.

“Alright. You remember how Dorian looked last time he came into the bookstore?” Bull asked patiently. Krem sighed.

“I’d prefer not to think about him at all, but yeah. All bruised up. Looked like--” Krem paused, a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth. Already he didn’t like where this was going. “...go on.”

“Well, those came from his shitty ex-boyfriend who knows next to nothing about safe sex.” Bull wearily pulled a plate towards himself and started cutting his pancakes up into little pieces. “Their situation is weird as hell, and I don’t even want to touch it, but...he’s been in town and bothering Dorian, and last night...Dorian got scared that he would hurt himself if he was left alone. He was practically crying over the phone, Krem.”

Krem felt his stomach turning, the food not helping. “So you went over there and... _comforted_ him?” He had thought this couldn’t get any worse, but if Bull had stood him up to go have sex with some other guy? That would definitely be worse.

“Shit, no, not like that,” Bull said hurriedly. “He didn’t ask for anything. He just needed someone to be around and make sure he didn’t do anything stupid...I think if I hadn’t been there he really might have hurt himself.”

“So...let me get this straight.” Krem put down his fork gently. “Dorian called you before our date, said he was scared of hurting himself. You went over, nothing happened between the two of you, and your ancient phone didn’t deliver your message to me to let me know that you were standing me up?”

Bull nodded. Krem finally looked over at the Bull, who looked painfully apologetic. He opened his mouth to speak again when his phone chimed with a notification. He looked down to his screen and found...a voicemail from Bull, recorded at 7:49 PM, delivered at last.

“...I’m buying you a new phone.” A little smile started to cross Bull's face and Krem frowned deeply. "Hey. You aren't out of it yet. Don't give me that smile. Why didn't you leave a note or anything to be sure?"

"I was in a hurry." Bull poured too much syrup over his pancakes, taking a big forkful before continuing. "Didn't have time to call you again or do anything but jump in my car."

"Hm..." Krem frowned. "And you really didn't do anything with him?"

"No." Bull met Krem's eyes, entirely serious. "I would never do that to anyone, especially not you...look, I can prove I wasn't skipping out on you, I'm still wearing my clothes for the date!" Bull gestured to his outfit with a grin, and Krem looked him over once.

"...you're wearing a car air freshener and a Hawaiian shirt, chief."

"I know!" Bull looked delighted that Krem had noticed. "A classy look for _Aclassi_ date, right?"

Krem slowly pushed his plate back, staring the Bull down. "I'm divorcing you," he deadpanned.

Bull snorted, then started laughing in earnest, almost too hard to breath. "Ahahah! But...but we're not even dating yet!"

"Doesn't matter." Krem started to laugh too, shoulders shaking a bit. “We’re gonna get married right now, and then I’m gonna divorce you. That was _terrible_ , chief!”

Their laughter died down leaving them with a silence that filled the room. Krem pulled his plate back towards himself, pushing the remainder of his meal around with his fork.

“I guess I understand why you did it.” Krem finally said, not bothering to look up from his plate. “You did what you had to do, and while I’m still upset about it, I’m not going to hold it against you.”

“Thank you Krem, I…”

“I’m not done yet.” Krem interrupted, looking up and meeting Bull’s eyes. The anger in them was lost, but the vulnerability still held. “I need to you to tell me if this is still something you actually want. Because if it isn’t, we can stop here. Yeah, I’ll be disappointed, but I’d rather leave this where it is before quitting becomes even harder.”

“Krem.”  
  
“And I need you to be honest, Bull. You don’t have to baby me or tiptoe around it. Just be straight with me...or don’t.” He said, smiling a little at his own joke. He sighed, his fork clattering against his plate as he dropped it. “I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing you into this if you’re not interested.” Krem said, biting his lip.

“Cremisius.” Bull tried again, his tone heavy and serious, jolting Krem out of his rambles and forcing him to quiet for just a moment and and listen to what Bull had to say. Bull rose from his seat, and walked around to the chair beside Krem. He took a seat, scooted it closer and leaned forward with his hands on his knees.

Krem side eyed Bull, slowly turning around to the side to face him.

“You should know that I never just do for the sake of doing. If you’re up for it, then so am I. I’m even thinking we should give this date another go. I’m pretty sure that you and I have tomorrow off. We could start with lunch at that cafe you like down the street..”

Krem took a moment to consider it, finding it hard to find a good reason to refuse, realizing it was because he didn’t want to say no.

“Wait.” Krem said slowly, narrowing his eyes. “I am scheduled to work tomorrow.”

Bull grinned, placing a hand on the back of Krem's chair.

"Well, when you're dating your boss, your schedule can magically free up at any time. To a point, anyways. So, how about Krem de la Kreme? Willing to give The Iron Bull another chance?"

Another quiet moment pass between them, Krem hesitant despite the fact that he didn’t think Bull would let him down again. He usually didn’t. He was a reliable pillar at Krem’s side most of the time.

“I guess.” Krem finally sighed, running his fingers through his short tousled hair, making the strands stick up frazzled. “I mean, it’s just kind of sad sitting here watching you beg. It’s a good look though. Wouldn’t mind seeing it on you more often.”

Lips curling in a wide grin, Bull leaned back letting out a boisterous laugh that rang throughout the house.

“Excellent. That’s my good man.” He rumbled, patting Krem’s back with a heavy hand, undoubtedly amused. “For you, I will get on my hands and knees, no question. Do you want me to call you Daddy, too?”

“Boss!” Krem laughed. His sharp cheeks, flushed bright as he struggled to shove Bull’s hand away. “Please don’t.”

After breakfast, Krem left Iron Bull’s home so he could go back to his own place and get ready to meet Bull back at work. Before watching Krem go, Bull stopped him at the front door, and pulled the young man towards him and affectionately kissed into the top of his soft brown hair.

Later on in the afternoon, after both Iron Bull and Krem had been at the shop for a few hours, Dorian came by just as he said he would. It was around the time when those who arrived to work in the morning were still there, but the evening people were just coming in, which meant the bookstore was well staffed at the time. Rocky and Grim were in the back unloading a shipment that came earlier than it should have. Krem was on break, which left Bull out front manning the register until he returned.

Attentive as he was to everything that went on in his store, the Iron Bull spotted Dorian right as he walked in the doors, and waved him over to the counter.

“Good. Good!” Bull said proudly as Dorian approached. He motioned Dorian around the counter and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You’re here.”

“That I am. Just as I said I would be.” Dorian quipped, pulling off his leather, winter gloves one by one. He stuffed them into his pocket for the time being looking about the store with a new set of eyes now that there was the prospect of him being a fellow employee. “Was there any doubt that I’d really come?”

“Not at all.” Bull smiled. “I’m just glad you’re here.” His expression softened a little, reaching out to place a gentle, reassuring hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling, big guy?”

“I’m alright.” Dorian said honestly. “I’ll be okay.”

Bull accepted that.  Dorian did look better than he had the night before. The smile on the Dorian’s face seemed genuine, and his grey eyes shined a little brighter.

“Good to hear.”  Bull gave Dorian’s shoulder a slight squeezed. “If you need anything, you let me know.”

Before Dorian had the opportunity to thank Bull like he wanted, a group of young women, two humans and an elf huddled up around the counter each with a number of books in their arms. Bull greeted and smiled at them, politely excusing himself for just one more moment.

“Go ahead and head to the back. Rocky and Grim are back there. They can direct you to the break room if you get lost in the stacks of books.” Bull said, turning back to the women. He took their books, asking if they found everything alright and started to scan each book. As he rang them up, he glanced back at Dorian and finished explaining. “Take a seat in there, and wait for me. I have the paperwork and training booklet all ready for you, but I can’t leave to join you until Krem gets back from his break. Can you handle that?”

“I think I can manage to make my way through your maze of books. As long as you don’t have any giant spiders lurking about I believe I will be just fine.”

“Very good.” Bull chuckled, winking at the girls with his one good eye. “He’s new.”

“Thanks Bull.” Dorian clucked his tongue. “Outing me to complete strangers already, are we?”

“These aren’t strangers, Dorian. Right, ladies? These are our valued guests, our beloved customers.” Bull playfully scolded.

“You’re absolutely right.” Dorian grinned, sliding his jacket off as he walked around the desk. “What was I thinking? My apologies.” He walked down towards the back, meeting who he assumed were Rocky and Grim, and found his way into the break room where he sat and waited for Bull.

No more than five minutes later, Krem walked into the break room with a energy drink in hand. He didn’t noticed Dorian right off, rushed and focused on putting his drink back in the refrigerator so he could get back out to the front and resume his place at the register.

Dorian on the other hand, watched Krem as he moved quickly through the room.  He sat in amusement realizing that Krem hadn’t even noticed he was sitting there at the table..

“Good afternoon, Krem.” He greeted.

Krem jumped, and whirled around. His eyes widening seeing Dorian at the table. Dorian. In their break room. A cloud of confusion spread across his features, as he tried to think of what reason he’d have to be back there.

“Holy shit, when did you get here?” He paused, his brows scrunching up in a funny way as if he smelled something off putting. “And why are you here? No, why are you sitting back here in the break room? Does Bull know you’re here?” He questioned, getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wasn’t going to like the answer when he heard it..

“Oh.” Dorian said, tilting his head, mirroring Krem’s look of confusion.  “I...I guess Bull hasn’t told you yet. You and I will have the wonderful pleasure of getting to know each other a lot better now that we will be closely working side by side.” Dorian grinned, resting his chin on his hands as he leaned across the table. “Won’t that be exciting?”

Krem’s brows raised high over his forehead, completely disbelieving.

“You’re kidding.” He whispered.

“I most certainly am n--”

Krem didn’t wait for Dorian to finish his answer, slamming the fridge shut as he charged out of the break room and made a beeline for Bull.

 _Shit._ The Iron Bull didn’t even have to look up to feel Krem’s rising irritation make his way towards him. He glanced up anyways, only just realizing that he had forgotten to tell Krem about his arrangement with Dorian, and in making that mistake, clearly fucked himself dry in the ass.

"Krem," he attempted, going for a conversational tone. "Thought you were--"

"I'm gonna fucking fight you, chief," Krem spat, and Bull wilted slightly under his glare. "It's one thing to stand me up, but now you're just gonna hire him?! Since when are we even hiring?!"

"You know, I sent out an email memo," Bull attempted to chime in, shrinking further into himself when Krem folded his arms.

"Bullshit. You've never sent an email memo in your life. And why didn't you tell me? What about the paperwork? Who's going to train him?!"

Despite Krem's clearly rising fury, his words gave Bull an idea. Maybe Krem didn't like Dorian now, but that was because he didn't know him. If they were forced to spend time together, maybe Krem could at least learn to work with him...

"Don't get that look in your eye," Krem growled in warning. "The last time you had that look we ended up having to pull porcupine quills out of your asscheeks, and if you're thinking of saying what I _think_ you are, this won't end any better than that time did..."

“Come on Krem! You’re my best man which makes you the best one to show Dorian the ropes around here.”

"Ugh, I knew it!" Krem threw his hands into the air. "I can't believe you, chief! One good sob story and you just give the guy a job?! What are you thinking?!" A few store goes were looking their way, but Krem didn't seem to care. Bull sighed softly, looking down at Krem and putting his hands on his shoulders.

"Hey," Bull said gently, and fuck, Krem could already feel his heart melting. "I know you don't like him, but I need you to do this for me. I don't think it's a good idea to leave him alone with what he's going through...besides, the last time I hired a man who was down on his luck and having a shit life, he turned out to be one of the best people I ever met. Who knows? Maybe Dorian's the same..."

"He's a Pavus, can't give him too much credit," Krem pointed out, but he could feel his anger slipping through his fingers and knew the battle had already been lost. Bull's eyes were practically sparkling as he turned his head away and huffed. "Yeah, yeah, alright. Enough buttering me up, chief. Just have him come in on Saturday morning next week, I'll train him before opening."

"You're the best, Kremperor's New Groove." Bull grinned at him stupidly and Krem sighed, arching one eyebrow.

"How long you been holding that one in for, boss."

"Fifteen minutes," Bull looked overly proudly of himself, and Krem rolled his eyes.

"I'll train your boy if you promise never to use that name again?"

"Deal."

 

* * *

 

Next week came much too quickly for Krem’s liking, and Saturday even faster. He already wanted to leave and the day hadn’t even started yet...of course, this was all mostly because Bull’s new _friend_ was working at the store. To be fair, their date had gone better than Krem could have ever hoped, and though he’d spent nights in the Bull’s bed before, this had been...different, in a good way.

They were still themselves, mercilessly teasing each other, joking around, laughing a little too loud at the restaurant, but there were small things he noticed. Bull’s fingers brushing against his as he walked, lingering until he finally took Krem’s hand, as if he was hesitant. The way Bull looked at him, a little fonder, and with an affectionate sparkle in his eye that he probably wouldn’t admit to, not yet.

It had gone so well, and Bull had been there just as he said he would be. He didn’t let him down. So despite how much he disliked this Dorian arrangement, Krem was determined to not let Bull down either.

They had an hour to opening when Dorian arrived. Bull wouldn’t be there until later that afternoon so Krem was the one to wait for Dorian at the back door so he could let him in. Dorian walked up to the door, soft clouds leaving his mouth every time he breathe out. Even bundled up head from toe, and holding a cup of coffee to warm his fingers he was still obviously chilled. Krem ushered him inside so that Bull wouldn’t come in to find a Dorisicle at the door.

“Hurry up, pretty boy. Can’t have you freeze out here very first day.” Krem chided, closing the door shut behind Dorian. “Bull’s out getting you a set of keys. He’ll be in later this afternoon.”

“Yes, that’s what he told me.” Dorian said, sighing gratefully now that he was in the warmth of the building. “He also told me that you will be the one training me for the next two weeks.” He grinned. “I’m excited. I promise to try to be a good boy for you.”

Krem snorted, leading him to the break room. He pointed out the lockers and fridge for Dorian to put his things in.

“You better do better than ‘try’. Go on, put your shit away and then follow me. We got less than an hour now to have this place ready for opening.” He leaned against the door, watching as Dorian painstakingly removed layer after layer. Watching him try to shove everything in the small locker was even worse. Krem rolled his eyes, walking over to Dorian’s side and pulled the coat out of the locker.

“You’re not gonna be able to fit anything in with this thing in there.” He pointed to the corner where there was a horizontal rack with a couple of sweaters and jackets hanging from it. “Our coat rack is over here.” The coat went on a hanger, and then Krem headed for the door. “Meet me out front in two minutes.” Then without another word, strode out to the lobby.

Dorian came out five minutes later, with his coffee still in hand, taking quick sips of it as he strode over to the counter and Krem stared in detest.

“Two minutes.” Krem frowned.

“Oh…well. My goodness. I do apologize.” Dorian said, placing a hand over his heart, being overly facetious. “I didn’t realize you were keeping time and all.” Dorian’s smile fell slightly seeing that Krem wasn’t taking his humor lightly. He shuffled around the counter to Krem’s side, setting his cup down on the counter and laced his hands together.

“You know what. I really am sorry. No fun allowed. I’ll remember.”

Krem finally cracked the start of a smile, gently elbowing Dorian in the side.

“You’re damn right.” He teased. “Not while I’m in charge around here.”

For the next thirty minutes, Krem spent the time showing Dorian how to go about opening the store. From making sure the registers were ready for opening, pulling holds on their back shelves that had expired, and checking in the newspapers.

“You don’t exactly like me, do you Cremisius?” Dorian asked, as he was handed the last newspaper that could fit on their display.

"Beg pardon?" Krem carefully slid the newspaper into its case. looking over at Dorian once he was done. "Never said I didn't."

"But you never said you did, either," Dorian pointed out unhelpfully. Krem sighed quietly, pausing in his work to look Dorian over. The poor man looked genuinely hurt by the thought that Krem would dislike him, and Krem decided it was time to swallow his pride. If Bull could like him, then damn it, so could Krem. It didn't matter what had happened or what he had done before...they were working together, and Krem had to welcome him as he had welcomed all of his other coworkers.

“Listen, Altus.” Krem started to walk and gestured for Dorian to follow, taking a seat at a table by the window. They had time until they had to open the doors, they could talk for a while. Dorian sat down across from him, shifting nervously. “I think we started off on the wrong foot. I don’t dislike you, I just don’t know you all that well either. But the chief likes you, and if he’s willing to give you that chance, then so am I. You’re part of the team now, and I’ll respect you if you’ll respect me. Sound fair?”

Dorian’s eyes were practically shining as he stared back at Krem, and for a moment he was worried that Dorian would cry. “Uh. Wrong thing to say?” he ventured, feeling so much pity when Dorian actually rubbed at his eyes. Shit, he was trying to be _nice_.

“No, no!” Dorian hurriedly looked at him, smiling a bit. “It was exactly what I needed to hear, as a matter of fact. I’m not very used to anyone being willing to give me a chance - you know, Tevinter…”

“Shit, yeah.” Krem grinned. “You know how hard it was to get everyone to stop calling me a ‘blood mage’? Figured I would get pulled over by the cops at some point and they’d probably ask me too, the rate it kept happening.”

Dorian laughed. “Truly! You’d think they wouldn’t be aware of all the other gems our homeland has had to offer through the years. Like slavery!”

“Like slavery,” Krem agreed, starting to laugh as well. “Can’t forget the murder without consequences, either.”

“Oh, of _course_!” And then they were both laughing, their conversation stopping as the both of them paused to take a breath.

“I’m gonna have to introduce you to Sera,” Krem said when they had finally calmed down. “She plays the best damn game of ‘Your Homeland is Shit’ I’ve ever seen, but I bet if we teamed up we could take her down.”

“I would very much like to see anyone who could outshit Tevinter,” Dorian said proudly, looking pleased. “So...I was wrong, then. I apologize for jumping to conclusions.”

“Nah.” Krem smiled, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “You’re good, Altus. Just try to keep the blood magic to a minimum.”

Dorian looked absolutely bewildered. “What, and free my captive slaves? _Impossible_.” That got them both going again, and Krem had to usher Dorian to a stand to bring him to open the doors. They were still having a small fit of giggles as they welcomed customers in, but Dorian looked much better than he had before. Krem could see why the Bull liked the guy. He was funny, and had a pretty good outlook given the apparently shit hand life had already dealt him.

“C’mon, Dorian.” Krem smiled. “I’ve got a few more things to show you up front here.” He ushered the other man up the counter and watched with pride as he began efficiently helping their customers.

 

* * *

 

Given that Krem had only had positive things to report to Bull after their shift together, it made sense that he scheduled Krem to work with Dorian for another Saturday opening shift, and another after that, and soon...every Saturday morning shift had him and Dorian working side by side. Krem found himself truly enjoying their morning talks before the store opened, learning more about Dorian than he thought he would have wanted to, and in turn telling him more about himself.

Such was that morning, with the two of them situated at their favorite table by the window and sipping coffee. Dorian was a little red-faced from the cold but was, for once, not complaining, and Krem had to give it to him that the kid was resilient.

“Anyway, so the guy looks at chief with this _terrified_ expression and drops _all_ the fruit,” Krem continued, right in the middle of a story. “And it’s quiet as shit, you could hear a pin drop, and then...from the back of the room, we heard the most concerned voice calling out, ‘Uh, package for Mr. Bull’?”

“Oh _god_ ,” Dorian wrinkled his nose, grinning wide. “You don’t mean to tell me…”

“That dildo store has some damn efficient shipping.”

Dorian was wheezing, slapping the table with his palm as Krem grinned proudly. He liked the way Dorian laughed, how he bent slightly at the waist and tried to cover his mouth with his hand, like he was afraid of being too loud. He sighed warmly as Dorian recovered, wiping at his eyes.

“Good story,” Dorian said warmly, looking more than a little flustered. “I’m not surprised he would order something like that, though. You know, when I met the Bull he practically _invited_ himself into my bed after calling my taste in literature ‘shit’. Didn’t ever think it would become something like this.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Krem laughed. “Kinda cock blocked me there when that happened, to be honest.”

“Oh…?” Dorian was blushing a bit, his cheeks tinged just a bit pinker - and not from the cold this time. “I had no idea!”

“Yeah. I was gonna ask the chief out, then he told me he was banging you. Still got around to it, though.” Krem smiled, feeling some heat spread to his own cheeks.

“Is that so?” Dorian laughed softly. “Nice work. I’m glad you got what you wanted.”

“Mhm. What can I say? The chief makes me happy. I mean, if you hadn’t made me jealous then we probably wouldn’t be dating…” Krem stopped at the slight flash of hurt that went through Dorian’s eyes, worry shooting through him. “...did I say something?”

“N-no,” Dorian said hurriedly, but Krem could read the sadness in his face like an open book. He felt his stomach twist up into knots, and he wasn’t sure why. He hadn’t meant to hurt Dorian, and seeing that look on his face… “No, no, I just...I had no idea. I’m happy for you two.” Dorian smiled, and Krem wanted to believe that he wasn’t as upset as he looked. Deciding it would be better not to point it out, Krem smiled easily and reached over to pat his shoulder.

“Hey. Doesn’t mean we’re forgetting about you or anything.” He smiled. “I mean, it’s been a month and a half already. If you didn’t notice, it means we’re probably doing a good job at making sure we don’t piss everyone off being all kissy and shit.” He stood up, gesturing for Dorian to follow. “You’re my friend now, Dorian. You ever have a problem with something that’s going on, you just tell me. Alright?”

“Friend…” Dorian looked simultaneously hopeful and sad all at once, and Krem realized that it was the first time he’d ever actually called Dorian a friend.

“Yeah, friend. I know we don’t have _those_ in Tevinter, but let’s at least give it a try.” The joke had the effect Krem wanted, because Dorian was finally smiling back at him, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

“I have plenty of friends, I’ll have you know. All it takes is a little blood magic, and everyone loves you!”

Krem snorted, grinning wide. “Those jokes are never going to get old.”

“Not a bit.” Dorian walked ahead of him them, leading the way to the door. “Come on, Krem! No fun allowed, we have to open up!”  
  
“That’s _my_ line, Altus.” But Krem was pleased. Dorian was fitting in, and he seemed happy. Aside from the brief moment of discomfort earlier, it seemed like he and Dorian were really getting along. He followed him over and opened up the doors just in time, dismissing the little flip his stomach did when their hands brushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The last time" was at a Chargers party where everyone was too drunk to think and they all decided to play a game called "dildo daredevil", where you find the most dangerous object you can and attempt to see how well it would work as a dildo.
> 
> There were regrets from all parties, animal control was called, and no one is exactly sure where the porcupine came from but it's a great story.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! We're so glad you guys are liking it. All the comments, bookmarks, and kudos mean so so so much!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Very brief non-graphic mentions of abuse

Fridays and Saturdays were quickly becoming Krem’s favorite days of the week.

 

Friday nights he had his dates with Bull, and Krem could really appreciate the effort that the Qunari put into making sure they were both comfortable and having a good time. Whether it was going out for dinner and hitting the arcade after, or staying home and cuddling while they watched their favorite movies, Krem couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever been happier. Bull cared,  _ really _ cared, and that made him happier than he could say. Things between them were still easy, but romantic, too. He had to admit...he was glad Dorian had come into their lives, or this never would have started.

 

Saturday mornings he worked with Dorian, and though they had gotten off to a rough start the two of them now chatted eagerly in the mornings, trading stories as they set up the shop in the quiet of the mornings. Dorian had surprised him with some of his tales, the other man more adventurous than Krem would have given him credit for, and in turn Krem had been steadily telling Dorian all of his favorite stories about the Chargers. They sat at their usual table, coffees in hand as Krem passed Dorian a drawing he had done to illustrate his current story.

 

“Anyway, it looked a little something like that after we were done with it. Never saw that ‘baron’ again.” He grinned, and Dorian clicked his tongue, trying not to laugh.

 

“Oh, dear. Why do so many of your stories involve mishaps with sex toys?” he ventured, snorting at Krem’s bewildered expression.

 

“Have you  _ met _ Bull? Knowing him, I bet he’d decorate the store with some if he could.”

 

“I don’t doubt it.” Dorian smiled mischievously. “Although, that does remind me of something I did to a merchant who overcharged me for some things I purchased and lied about it. Do we have time for another story, or shall I hold my tongue?”

 

“We’ve got…” Krem paused, turning his head to see the clock on the wall. “Whoa. We’ve got twenty minutes, you’re good.” He grinned and looked back at Dorian, smile fading as Dorian stared at him inquisitively. "...uh. You alright there Altus?"    
  
"Hmm?" Dorian met Krem's gaze, paling. He put forth a smile, glancing away again, his eyes going to the table as he fidgeted in his seat. "Yes, yes of course. I'm fine." He assured. "Where was I?"   
  
"Something about a merchant overcharging you?"   
  
"Ah! Yes...yes that's right." His voice drifted away again, falling into a silence that made Krem's heart drop into his stomach. He was obviously holding back. He seemed nervous, afraid to even look Krem directly in the eye.    
  
"Hey...I'm right here Dorian." Krem waved. He frowned, leaning forward in his chair. "You sure you're alright? You know, whatever it is you can tell me."

 

“Yes! I’m fine, of course…” Dorian still wouldn’t look at him, and Krem finally stood up from his seat and crouched beside him, trying to catch his gaze. Dorian sighed, biting his bottom lip and finally looking at Krem, pointing nervously to his neck.

 

“You speak so fondly of the Iron Bull, but...I-I know how it is to love someone for who they are, but not what they do…” Dorian sighed quietly, continuing before Krem could get a word in. “I don’t mean to pry, but if you ever need to talk to someone about this, or perhaps about getting out of...any situations that might arise, I’m here.”

 

“...what the hell are you talking about?” He didn’t mean to sound angry, only confused, but Dorian stared back at him seriously.

 

“I understand that you might want to hide it, but you need to know that it isn’t your fault and you don’t need to be ashamed! If anyone is...harming you in any way, I want you to know that you can come to me. I’ll help in whatever way I can, no matter what’s going on.” Dorian didn’t know who was close in Krem’s life beyond the Iron Bull, and while he didn’t want to suspect the Qunari of harming Krem, things like this were often tricky…

 

“Harming me?” Krem frowned when Dorian gestured to his neck again, grabbing his phone to tug down his collar and look at his reflection... _ oh _ . Bull’s bruising love bites and some... _ other _ marks were all over his neck, just below his collar. They would have been visible when he turned to look at the clock. 

 

“Oh shit, Dorian. It’s not...no one’s  _ harming _ me, it's nothing like that." Krem smiled, returning to his seat and shaking his head at Dorian’s concerned look. “I mean it. It’s...it’s consensual. Chief and I, uh...have a lot of fun in the bedroom, and sometimes I end up with marks like these, but I want them. It’s not abuse, and we’ve got all our boundaries and safewords in place just in case anything goes wrong.” He could feel his cheeks heating up and tried not to sound embarrassed. “Damn...you really don’t know a lot about this stuff, huh?”

 

“It isn't that I don't know, it's that it looks horrible!” Dorian said firmly, clearly still caught off guard. “How...why...I mean...it’s  _ all  _ consensual?” he repeated, his voice a bit softer. “You want to be hurt?”

 

“Well, it’s not like I’m asking him to punch me in the face. Some ropes here, a bite there...things that feel good.” It wasn't the reaction he had expected to anyone seeing Bull's marks on him, but he had to admit it was cute how concerned Dorian was. He felt a little bad, hoping he hadn’t scared Dorian too much. “This is, uh, kind of a weird conversation to be having at work. I mean, you know how it works, right...?”

 

“Of course. But I still have a right to be concerned.” he said, lowering his voice and looking away. His expression turned sour as he thought about it. “Too many people have kept silent after seeing bruises on me, it's a personal policy of mine to offer help where I can. You never know what's going on in someone's life behind a mask...I didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to help if I could.”

 

_ Shit _ . That made him feel even worse. He tried not to let it show on his face, wishing Bull were here. Bull would know how to have this kind of conversation better than he did. 

 

“That's...completely understandable.” He tried to think of more to say, more he  _ could _ say without making things worse. "But Bull and I have got it covered. He wouldn't do any of this without my consent. I didn't mean to freak you out.”

 

“That's alright,” Dorian said, and Krem could tell just from his tone of voice that this was all getting a little too deep for him. “Perhaps we can change the subject...but first I'm going to go get something from my locker.”

 

He took his coffee and stood, and Krem watched him go silently...it said a lot that Dorian didn’t know how to react to bruises without thinking  _ intentional harm _ , but Dorian had told him about his father before so it didn't seem too much of a stretch to assume there had been incidents in the past. Sighing, he stood from his own chair to go over their checklist one more time. Soon it would be time to open, and they could both get their minds off of this.

 

“Alright boys.” Bull boomed, slapping Krem’s and Dorian’s back. Dorian only stumbled slightly. He had finally gotten used to Bull’s heavy hand. “You both did good work today. Skinner’s finally here, so you guys are good to take off. We’ll handle it from here.” He gently squeezed their shoulders, his hand sliding down a little lower along Krem’s back, giving him a gentle pat to his bum.

 

Krem leaned into him, an instinct now, and Bull leaned down to kiss him. 

 

“I’ll see you later tonight?” Bull whispered against Krem’s ear, his voice a low rumble that made his heart beat a bit faster.

 

Dorian cleared his throat, reminded the two of them that not only where they still in the store, but that he was standing right there able to hear and see all that they were doing.     

 

“Your gross affections are charming in a way.” Dorian teased as they pulled apart from each other. “But I’m afraid that I must pull Krem away from you. He’s invited me to play some video game at your house actually, Bull. And I believe  _ you  _ should be getting back to work.” He said with a playful wag of his finger. Snorting, Krem peeled himself from Bull and gently pushed down Dorian’s hand.

 

“He’s right though Bull, we should be heading out.” Krem said, pushing Dorian towards the back door. “Call us if you need any help or backup for the signing. I know you guys got it handled, but those Author signings can get out of hand really fast sometimes.” 

 

“Don’t worry, Krem.” Bull laughed lowly, waving them away. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking out after them as they walked out. “You will be the first one I call if this place catches fire.”

 

Krem turned around and grinned, flipping him off playfully. Bull’s laugh deepened, shaking his head. The door fell shut, the other two men discussing plans as they walked to their cars, and Bull turned to head back to the main floor.

 

“No respect.” He whispered fondly.

  
  


“I don’t get it. I had you!” Krem sighed exasperatedly, tossing his controller carelessly beside him. Three times.  _ Three times _ , Dorian had somehow managed to succeed in killing him. It made absolutely no sense to him why Dorian (who had only just learned how to play the game that afternoon) was showing him up again and again. “You have to have played this before. One more time. I want a rematch.” 

 

Dorian was also pleasantly surprised at how quickly he had picked up the controls and picked Krem off over and over. He leaned back against the couch. A large simple microfiber sofa, decorated with terribly tacky print pillows. It radiated Iron Bull’s garish sense of design.

 

“Krem, Krem...do you really crave the taste of defeat so bad that you’re willing to get drunk on it by my hand?” Dorian teased. He grabbed a  pillow, shoving it behind his back as he tried to get more comfortable, ready for the next battle.

 

“Don’t get cocky.” Krem grinned. “You’ve had beginners luck at best.” 

 

“Beginners luck? Is that what we’re calling it when I completely annihilate you?”

 

“Shut up.” Krem laughed, gently pushing Dorian over. “I’m the king at this game. Not even chief can beat me, alright.”

 

Halfway into the next match, Krem paused the game. He stretched, running his fingers under his chest, and made a move to get up. “Hold on, give me a moment. I have to go change. I’ve been wearing this all damn day.”

 

Dorian wasn’t quite sure what Krem meant, assuming he was simply referring to his outfit. 

 

“You had to stop the in the middle of the match to do that? Are you really that afraid of losing?” Dorian playfully taunted, picking up his phone as he waited for Krem to return. He switched the camera on, and took a few selfies, posting them with the caption, ‘Kicking Krem’s ass in video games and looking flawless while at it.’  Krem came back a few moments afterwards, he looked to be wearing the same clothes he had been when he walked back to the other room. “It doesn’t look like you changed?”

 

Krem picked his controller back up, and shrugged. He felt like he could trust Dorian, and had grown comfortable enough with him over the past month where he felt like he could just be blunt with Dorian...without giving a long winded explanation. Dorian was an incredibly intelligent guy. He’d figure it out.

 

“That’s a good thing if you ask me. Damn binder starts to bruise if you wear it all day. Bull would have scolded me for it. Didn’t feel like listening to the big guy’s mouth when he gets home tonight. At least, not about that.”

 

Silence filled the room, and Krem dared a glance at Dorian, who was staring with focus at the paused game screen, his expression unreadable. Krem worried for a moment that he had misjudged the situation, that Dorian was one of  _ those _ people who would make a big deal over it or treat him like shit, and he opened his mouth to backpedal when Dorian laughed.

 

“Hah! Glorious!” He looked to Krem with a wide grin. “Don’t get me wrong, Krem, I appreciate you telling me. It means a lot that you trust me with such a personal thing...but if you think that revealing your innermost secrets is going to make drop my guard so you can win, you’re quite wrong.”

 

Krem snorted at that, instantly at ease. Of course Dorian would find a way to make light of it without dismissing him - that was how they’d gotten closer after all, by sharing terrible jabs at their homeland. “Hey, I had to try something. You think I like getting my ass beat by a blood mage?”

 

“Ooh, we’re doing  _ that _ are we.” Dorian chuckled, his eyes dropping to the controller. “Do let me know if I’m supposed to make a bigger deal of this, however. I don’t want it to seem as though I’m dismissing you, but I’m aware of how...difficult it can be to come out with something so personal and I thought a little joke might ease the tension.”

 

It was nice to see how aware Dorian was despite the teasing. Krem scooted a little closer to him and nudged him with his elbow. “Eh. We’ll talk about it more later if we need to. Maybe after we’re done playing, because I still need to kick your butt.”

 

“I would love to see you try!” Dorian nudged Krem back, a playful grin on his face. “Whenever you’re ready to unpause so I may claim my victory?”

 

“I’ll claim  _ your _ victory,” Krem mumbled, earning another loud laugh from Dorian as he unpaused the game. He felt so much more at ease knowing Dorian didn't care and wouldn't be a jackass about his personal life, and even when he lost the match he found he couldn't get too upset about it.

 

Dorian was laughing, grinning wildly as Krem shoved him a bit, dropping the controller. "I let you win that one!" he argued, starting to laugh too when Dorian shoved him in return.

 

"Mhm, I'm certain. Me and my 'beginner's luck', is it?" he practically purred, leaning in towards Krem. "I think it's safe to say I've beaten you, no matter how many rematches you challenge me to!"

 

"Shut your mouth already," Krem teased, meeting Dorian's eyes and leaning in as well with a grin. "Or I'll shut it for you..."

 

"Is that so..." Dorian's eyes dropped to his lips and then went wide, and only then did Krem realize how close they were. They sat there awkwardly for a few moments, Krem hunching his shoulders as Dorian cleared his throat nervously.

 

"W-Well," Dorian finally said, sitting back. "Nice as you might be, I doubt the Iron Bull would approve of us getting  _ that _ comfortable with one another. Perhaps we should...take a break?"

 

"Shit yeah, uh, I'm starving," Krem fumbled out, looking away from Dorian. What the hell had he been doing? He'd gotten so pissed at Bull before for ditching him to see Dorian, but here he was... "Good game!" he said hurriedly before his thoughts could catch up with him. Nothing had happened. It was alright.

 

"Yes, good game," Dorian agreed quickly, coming to a stand and smiling easily, holding out a hand to Krem like nothing had happened. "Come, come. We have to make our own lunch, there are no slaves to do it for us."

 

Krem's tension broke at that, and he snorted and took Dorian's hand. "We really need to stop making those jokes, they're awful," he said, following Dorian to the kitchen and trying to ignore his own racing heartbeat.

 

The bookstore was buzzing as the time approached for the book signing to begin. Bull and the Chargers were hard at work, setting up a table by the counter with a box of the books from the author. It was set up so that the customers could buy the book, and get their book signed. It was a wonderful, fun-filled event that Bull would have loved to participate in...

 

If the agents hadn't fucked it up and sent him the author of Fifty Shades of Grey Warden.

 

As it was, Bull seethed silently as several eager people shuffled around the table, doing everything in his power to  _ politely ignore _ the author, who was watching from the back and waiting for him to finish setting up. He would have to talk to him eventually, much as Bull hated the thought...probably better to do it sooner rather than later.

 

"I'll be right back, gotta check up on the guy," Bull muttered, getting a look from Dalish that clearly meant  _ play nice _ . He sighed and forced on his brightest smile before strolling into the back. "Doing good back here, Mr. Solas?"

 

"Solas will be just fine, thank you." He was looking over Bull's selection of coffee and tea warily, tilting his head a bit. "Do you have anything besides tea and coffee? I can't stand either."

 

_ And I can't stand you, _ Bull thought to himself, but kept his mouth shut on that. "We've got soda in the fridge, water, some juice...help yourself to anything."

 

“A bottle of mineral water will do fine, I suppose.” Solas sighed. He barely even spared Bull a glance, which only made Bull hate the guy even more. It was one thing to write poorly written erotica, it was another to have a prickly, high strung attitude.

 

“We have bottles of regular water. I can go outside and sprinkle in some dirt if you want minerals.” If he sounded sarcastic, then he meant to. 

 

Solas face scrunched up in a frown, one brow arching across his forehead. He could give Iron Bull dirty looks all he wanted, but Bull wasn’t going out of his way any more than he needed to to please this guy. This wasn’t his damn bookstore, and Bull didn’t bend over at anyone’s will.

 

They stared at each other, seconds ticking and the room filling with growing animosity thick enough that you’d think a storm was brewing over their heads. Solas seemed like he was waiting for Bull to fetch him his water, but Bull didn’t budge. Instead, he gave him one more big smile, strained and stretched across his face and gesture over to the fridge.

 

“If you do decide that our water is fancy enough for you, it’ll be right there waiting for you. You better hurry though, the crowd will be expecting to see you sitting out there in five.” Bull excused himself, heading into his own little office space to make a call. His nerves were on high. He needed to stop. Take a breath. Stay in control. It was one screwed up author, with a stupidly high amount of followers. He’d dealt with worse.

 

Still, he called up Krem, deciding that talking to him for a few minutes and venting would help him get through the rest of the evening.

 

Krem answered at the second ring, his voice already doing wonders, enveloping Bull like a warm, gentle embrace. He could hear Dorian ask who it was over the line, and Krem answered with his name. He was glad his boys were getting along so well, and could spend time together when he wasn’t around to be there.

 

“What’s up, boss? Everything going alright at the signing so far?”

 

That’s right. Dorian and Krem didn’t know about the mix up.

 

Bull sighed, leaning against his table and wincing when it creaked. His weight was a little too much, as he occasionally forgot. He straightened up, and moved over to lean against the wall instead.

 

“It’s brutal, Krem.” He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “They sent the wrong author, and you wouldn’t guess what cracked up eggshell they sent over! The damn, shitty author of that Fifty Grey Wardens in Shades or whatever that book is called.”

 

“Shit…” Krem whistled, slowly giving way to soft laughter. He whispered something over to Dorian that Bull couldn’t make out, but he could hear the laughter that followed.

 

“It’s not funny, Krem. I have to play nice until this thing is over. I should have had you worked this event.”

 

“I still can if you want.” Krem offered. “I can head over right now. Be there in no time.”   
  


As much as Bull appreciated the offer, and the thought of accepting it sounded wonderful, he didn’t want Krem to have to come out after already working a morning shift. “It’s alright, Kremsicle.” He said fondly. “You and Dorian enjoy the rest of your night off. I’ll handle this. I’ll see you tonight.”

 

“Whatever you say, Bull. Dorian says good luck. See you when get home.”

 

Bull waited for Krem to hang up first, then took a glance at the time. One minute left. The event was officially one hour. Then there would be the stragglers. He could make it through a few hours of hell. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be much for him to do but basically keep order. If he was lucky, Solas would be so busy signing books he wouldn’t have to talk to him for most of the night.

 

That’s what Bull was hoping for as he walked back into the break room. Solas had apparently settled on tea despite his dislike, his face clearly showing just how much he hated the stuff with each sip. Just a few hours, Bull reminded himself. A few hours, and he’d never have to give this man or this book the time of day. He wasn’t even going to keep the free distributer copies anymore after this. Nope, anything he received he was going to get Dorian to burn for him. Sit down as he did it, watch the fire lick every page of the book. Now that would be sexy.

 

“Time to go, big guy. Your cult is waiting.”

 

“My fans are hardly a cult. However, if we want to have a discussion on life under the Qun, then we can talk about cults and what not. But after my book signing. My people await me, as you said yourself.” 

 

Bull crossed his arms over his chest, pressing his lips together in a tight line. It took all his restraint not to argue with this Solas. He stayed perfectly silent as he led Solas out of the back out towards his waiting crowd.

 

Loud cheers and thunderous applause filled the store as Solas approached signing table. He gave them all a small, welcoming smile, as if he hadn’t just finished pissing Bull off, and waved at his adoring fans. Most of them were young elven women, who clutched their books to their chest, smiling and laughing excitedly. There were a few elven men in the mix as well as a mix of genders from the variety of races.  Iron Bull was even greatly disappointed to say that he spotted one lone Qunari all too ready to trade hands with Solas.

 

“Traitor…” Bull mumbled under his breath. 

 

“Thank you. Thank you all for coming,” Solas said smoothly, taking a seat once the crowd died down.

 

Bull decided that Solas was a backwards guy, starting off with autographs that would be follow with a brief speech of sorts. It made more sense to him to start with his little speech, since there was a time limit to the event. Either way, The Iron Bull was just waiting for Solas to start talking. He didn’t care who he was, if he started going off about any of the unsafe practices in the book, the guy was out of here.

 

Bull kept watch from the registers, rolling his eyes every time Solas flirted with the prettiest elven women, his fingers lingering a little too long on theirs when he passed them their books, whispering into their red tipped ears and making them giggle. The night was going to be a very long one at this rate.

 

He had only just managed to tune out the worst of the chatter when a familiar face caught his eye, a human man hurrying up to the counter to speak to Solas eagerly.

 

_ Marcus _ .

 

Bull felt his entire body tense as he leaned against the wall, eavesdropping on their conversation hesitantly.

 

“...two copies?” he caught Solas saying, his frown only growing when Marcus nodded eagerly.

 

“Yeah. One’s for me and one’s for my boyfriend.” He grinned, and Bull felt his stomach flip with revulsion. He was going to find some way to have a word with this man when everything was over… “We both really love your work. It’s given us some great ideas, hahah!”

 

“Is that so?” Solas raised an eyebrow but calmly signed both copies, sliding them back to Marcus with a smile. “Well, I would never judge a person for what they like. If you and your boyfriend appreciate what I have to offer, then I can only hope you will continue to purchase my books in the future.”

 

Bull ripped his gaze away from them after that, not willing to hear the rest of what Marcus said. The man was delusional at best, and it was a crime enough for Bull to have given him the book in the first place. Paying attention to him now would only make him angrier.

 

After what seemed to be forever of Solas signing books and chatting with his fans, it was finally time for the speech portion of the event. Bull stood guard by the stairs as Solas began speaking, paying careful attention to hear anything that toed the line. To his shock, the Elven man seemed content with simply answering questions and not going too far into detail about any of the more graphic practices he’d written about, and Bull almost felt himself relaxing as the end of the night drew closer and closer. Soon he could go home to Krem and Dorian, soon…

 

“Yes, you in the back.” Solas gestured to someone with a raised hand, and Bull felt his stomach twist a little as Sera popped up from her chair. Not her, too? He  _ liked _ Sera, he couldn’t imagine her reading anything like Solas’s books…

 

“Yeah, I got a question.” She folded her arms, watching Solas with interest. “Listen, your books are  _ shite _ , and I dunno why everyone’s reading ‘em! Do you believe in the piss you’re writing?”

 

“I...beg your pardon?” A deep frown twisted Solas’s features just as Bull grinned proudly. Leave it to Sera to turn a shitty evening like this around.

 

“I  _ said _ , d’you believe in the piss you’re writing? Coz it’s all wrong. I didn’t even read the stupid things, but I read some stuff about it on the internet, and it all sounds like piss!” Sera stepped forward a little, the shocked crowd parting a bit around her as Bull watched, making no move to stop her. “So what’s it? You do that in your real life? Or you just write it like a creepy creeper?”

 

Solas scowled, looking to Bull. “Would you please remove her from the premises? I have no time for such petty interruptions.”

 

Bull shrugged, a little smirk on his face. “Hey, I’m not gonna remove the lady for asking questions. Maybe she’s got a strong opinion, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a valid question.”

 

Solas sighed dramatically, turning back to the crowd. “Moving on, then. As I was saying--”

 

“Oi! You didn’t answer my question!” Sera didn’t back down, keeping her stance in the middle of the room and glaring at Solas. “So you  _ do _ like it? You actually get yourself off on that crap?!”

 

Solas sighed deeply, clearly trying to resist rolling his eyes. “Me simply writing something should not suggest that I actually--”

 

“So you  _ don’t _ , right? So why do you keep talking to people like it’s fine to do? It’s  _ dangerous _ , and you keep talking it up like it’s kittens and rainbows and...ugh!” Sera shook her head, her hair flying messily around her face as she did. “ _ You _ should be telling people that it’s wrong. Because it is. It’s wrong, and you’re an arse-biscuit for believing it!”

 

“Mr. Bull!” Solas called abruptly, and Bull had to tear his gaze from Sera. “This is no longer a question. She is directly insulting me, and I must ask that you escort her out at once!”

 

Bull sighed, shaking his head. “Sera, don’t insult him. Solas, answer her question. It’s still valid--”

 

“I am not obligated to provide her with answers to her nonsense. I want her seen out immediately.”

 

“All you elfy bastards are the same,” Sera growled. Bull sighed, stepping forward to keep her from actually climbing onto the stage, and she sighed in frustration. “He’s still not answering me!”

 

“Solas, she’ll go away faster if you just--” Bull started, turning to face the man...and stopping entirely when he saw the self-satisfied smirk on his face.

 

He couldn’t really say what it was about it that spurred him on - maybe it was Solas’s attitude in general, maybe it was the fact that his books were (in some ways) responsible for Dorian’s pain. But that expression in particular had Bull seeing red, and before he could calm himself down he had released Sera and pulled himself onto the stage to start clearing Solas’s things away.

 

“What are you doing?” Solas hissed. “I told you to take her out!”

 

“Never been a big fan of listening to guys who have their heads shoved up their asses,” Bull said all too casually. Clearly Solas was in just as terrible a mood as he was, because Bull had a feeling that his next remarks wouldn’t have come had he been in a better state of mind.

 

“You’re Qunari, aren’t you?” he sneered. “Do what you’re best at and follow orders, then. See. Her. Out.”

 

Bull felt all of his muscles tense then. He turned on Solas, staring him down with a fury that pulsed deep inside of him. All of his rage had been building since the event had started and now, with no other outlet to turn to, Bull let it out the only way he knew how.

 

He leapt forward and punched Solas in the face.

 

Sera had time to let out a cheer before the crowd was converging on them, pulling Solas away from Bull before he could hurt him more. Marcus was there, of course, right at Solas’s feet and ready to help his precious author. Bull rose to a stand, allowing some of the more sympathetic crowd-goers to pull him away and sit him down in a chair.

 

“I want the police called!” He could hear Solas yelling, the jackass. Attempting to tune it out, Bull was more than a little grateful when Sera plopped down in a chair beside him, a little smirk on her face.

 

“Nice one,” she offered, raising her hand for a fist bump. He returned it gently, his eyes on one of the elven women who had pulled out her cell phone to call the cops for Solas.

 

He wondered distantly how Krem would feel about bailing him out of a police station for something that wasn’t related to the Chargers.

 

“Well that was fun.” Dorian chimed, walking into Bull’s home after Bull and Krem later that night. “Wasn’t expecting to end the night bailing anyone out of jail, but it was certainly a thrilling adventure.”

 

“Fun?” Krem snorted, running his fingers over the wall until he found the light switched and flipped it on, lighting up the hallway. “All I’ve learned tonight is that I can’t leave Bull alone for even an evening by himself.” He teased, gently nudging Bull in the back.

 

“Yeah, alright. I heard it all in the car. You got five more minutes to get it all out.” Bull said, walking into the living room. He tossed their bags of greasy burgers on the table while he walked into the kitchen for drinks. He came back with a few cold beers, and plopped down on the couch with a drawn out sigh. 

 

“Listen.” He began, popping the cap off his bear as Krem and Dorian sat beside him on the couch. “I know I lost control back there, and I hate it. But….”

 

“But the cheeky bastard clearly deserved it.” Dorian finished for him. “Don’t worry Bull, our only regret is that we didn’t get to see it. That, and you didn’t punch Marcus as well. I still can’t believe he dared to show up at the store again, trying to get an autograph for the both of us.” Dorian gagged, rolling his eyes.

 

Krem shook his head, reaching across Bull to pass Dorian a beer. “What the fuck is his problem anyways?”

 

“Hey, I already punched one guy, if you want me to punch him too I’d be more than willing.” 

 

“I have a better idea, so you don’t end up in jail again.” Krem laughed, taking a swig from his bottle. After setting that down, he grabbed the bags with their food in it, and distributed it to each of them. Three triple stacked cheeseburgers for Bull and an extra large fry for his extra large appetite. A cheeseburger layered with crispy bacon, a medium fry, and a shake for Dorian. And then two tripled stacked cheeseburgers for Krem, along with a large fry drenched in ketchup. 

 

“I’m listening.” Dorian mumbled, sinking into his burger unashamed. 

 

“Bull and I will go corner this guy, let him know that your boyfriends don’t really like to share with anyone else. Bull’s menacing enough to scare the shit out of him, especially after seeing him sock his ‘beloved’ author in the face. Bet he won’t come knocking anymore after that.”

 

Bull and Dorian were both quiet for a long moment. The silence made Krem wish for a moment he could take his suggestion back, feeling he had stepped a little too far with the boyfriend comment. He shifted uneasily on his cushion, shoving his mouth full of bread, meat, and cheese to try to ease his nerves.

 

“Boyfriends, huh?” Dorian whispered finally.

 

“Well, I mean....to make a point you know?” 

 

Bull loudly cleared his throat, feeling the discomfort from both sides. It wasn’t often that he felt like he was being squashed between two people, but at the time, Dorian and Krem’s unease was enough to suffocate him. 

 

“I think that sounds like a great idea, Krem.” He commended, patting Krem gently on the back. “If you want us to do that for you Dorian, you know we will. Maybe I’ll strap an axe to my back to look even more imposing.” Bull offered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

 

Dorian remained rather silent, overwhelmingly concentrated on the food in front of him.

 

“Yes...I’ll definitely consider it.”

 

Bull did his best to bring the mood back up, but by the time Dorian had finished eating, he was on his feet, searching his pockets for his car keys.

 

“I suppose I’ll head on out. Wouldn’t want to steal any more of you two lovebirds time alone together.”

 

“What? Not a chance, Dorian. It’s late. You can spend the night.” Bull  said, patting the couch for Dorian to sit back down. “I’ve had a traumatizing night.” He grinned. “I need all the support I can get in this very trying time.”

 

“I appreciate the offer, but…” Dorian trailed off, glancing at the door. “I really believe I should head home. Things to take care of. And I  _ do _ have work tomorrow.” He gave a little halfhearted smile to accompany the joke, and Bull tried not to let it show on his face how his heart sank at the sadness in Dorian’s tone. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

 

“Yeah. Drive safe,” Bull said gently, watching as Dorian picked up his things and hurried out. He glanced over at Krem, who was pointedly staring at the table, and cleared his throat. “...so.”

 

“Think I’m ready for bed,” Krem tried hurriedly, clearly not up for a discussion either. “You coming?”

 

“Yeah,” Bull said, feeling just a little stung from being shot down twice. “C’mon, I’ll put on a documentary or something so we can cuddle and fall asleep. There’s this cute one about nugs that I’ve been wanting to watch.”

 

“Sounds good.” Krem gave him a weak smile and stood up, offering his hand to Bull. “Been a long day, huh?”

 

Bull laughed a little, weariness finally hitting him with that statement. “Yeah. Sure has.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, as always!!
> 
> We're sorry Solas. We love you, but at the same time we're not sorry.


	7. Chapter 7

Bull decided there and then that he'd never been happier.

 

Having Krem between his legs, fitting so nicely and fucking into him hard like he'd been made for it, it really felt  _ right _ to Bull. His toes curled as Krem shifted to a particularly good angle, the sensation overwhelming him slightly as he moaned almost too loudly.

 

"Having a good time, chief?" Krem panted out, fingers gripping Bull's thighs like a lifeline as he thrust into him again and again, hard enough to have Bull gasping for breath, reminding him of just how strong Krem was. 

 

"S-Shit yeah," Bull rumbled. "Getting close..."

 

“Yeah?” Krem said, with a lopsided grinned, his cheeks red as the red rope that cut across Bull’s chest and over his arms. He looked damn good, Krem thought. The red was striking against his skin, framing his large chest, his dark hardened nipples, and the rippling muscles in his arms as they were carefully tied back behind his back. There was a thrill to having Bull at his mercy like this on occasion, restricted and  _ asking _ Krem to give him what he needed with his legs spread, and his thick cock, dripping with his heavy arousal. There was no doubt that if Bull really wanted to, he could easily break free, but it was never a thought they dwelled on, not even when Bull started to feel the satisfying dull ache in his arms. He wanted to give himself up to Krem.

 

It took a while to learn how to wrap and weave the rope correctly and tie the knots tight enough to restrict but not to harm, but Bull had done it enough times with him that he learned quickly.  Bull was pretty proud of Krem, honestly. If only because it meant he was a hell of a teacher.

 

“You look real fucking good under me….really good.” Krem whispered, admiring his handiwork, as he continued to slip into Bull with his cock, the smooth nylon around his hips pressing up flush against Bull’s ass. 

 

Bull growled in agreement, enjoying his own view of Krem’s flushed faced, dark hair slicked down with sweat in some parts, other sections sticking up from his tossing overnight. The bed groaned loudly in protest to Krem’s rocking, as the the intensity of his thrusts grew more desperate. He helped Bull to shift more onto his side, pushing the outside leg up, fingers digging into Bull’s meaty thighs.

 

“Shiiit….Bull…” He moaned, as the double end of his cock pressed against all the rights spots inside him. “You there with me…?” He breathed out. He wrapped his fingers around Bull's thick cock that leaked messily untouched, jerking his hips against him roughly. "Come on...come on Bull..." He panted, stroking his cock as he fucked him. 

 

With a groan of pleasure, Bull rocked back against him as well as he could with restrictions. Close. He was so damn close, and then Krem leaned over him, cupped his chin with the hand that had been stroking him, slick with pre-cum and lube and kissed him hard. 

 

Teeth scraped against his bottom lip. He could feel the way Krem's hips lost control and spasmed against him, his fingers tightening and digging into Bull's skin. Krem's mouth fell open and a loud moan of Bull's name fell out. Moments later, Bull followed suit; falling into blinding pleasure, losing himself to the jerky rock of Krem’s hips, streaks of cum splattered across his and Krem’s stomachs.

 

“Fuck…” Krem groaned, resting his face into the crook of Bull’s neck, the slow rolling movement of his hips coming to a cease. He tilted his head up towards Bull, kissed under his chin, then peppered his neck with kisses, slowly and lazily down his chest towards his soft belly. He then helped Bull turn over onto his side, and freed him from the ropes. He checked for any broken skin, gently massaging his wrists and shoulders before collapsing beside Bull. Curling up against Bull’s warm side, he sighed deeply. “Damn, chief,” he breathed. “That was good…”

 

“I needed that,” Bull said in agreement, curling an arm around Krem and leaning down to kiss his hair. “Ew,” he grumbled, grinning. “Your hair’s all sweaty.”

 

“Your  _ everything _ ’s sweaty,” Krem countered, laughing softly as he settled in Bull’s hold. As they settled into silence however, Bull could still feel Krem tensing up beside him. The other man had been acting strangely again, doing the same things he had done before asking Bull out - always looking as though he wanted to say something but holding back at the last moment. Bull decided to try and nip it in the bud this time - it had ended well before, but it probably wasn’t good to let Krem stew in his own emotions a second time if he could help it.

 

“Hey,” Bull said gently. “Tell me if I’m wrong, but...seems like something’s been on your mind.” He felt Krem tense even further at that, and Bull loosened his hold on him just a bit. “No pressure if you don’t wanna tell me, but...I’m here to listen if you do.”

 

“Yeah…” Krem sighed, turning over in Bull’s hold and burying his face in Bull’s arm. “Alright. Don’t hate me?”

 

“I could never,” Bull promised. “Lay it on me, unless you’re feeling too…” He paused just long enough for Krem to get suspicious, then grinned broadly. “ _ Kremotional _ .” That earned him a punch in the arm from Krem, and he laughed as he pulled the smaller man on top of him.

 

“I can’t believe you,” Krem groaned. “I’m about to lay my heart bare to you and you go and say shit like that. Unbelievable, chief.”

 

“Hey, hey,” Bull said, raising his hands and trying not to laugh. “I’ll stop if it’s really that much of a... _ Kremergency _ .”

 

“Bull.”

 

“Sorry, do you need me to be more  _ Krempathetic _ ?” 

 

Krem glared at him for a few moments before finally breaking down, laughing hard as Bull snuggled him close.

 

“Fuck you,” Krem said, no venom behind it as he kissed Bull gently. “Got it out of your system?”

 

“Yeah.” Bull grinned. “Thought it might loosen you up though. Think you can tell me what’s going on now?”

 

“Mhm.” Krem snorted softly. “You’re ridiculous…” He went silent again after that, looking Bull in the eyes thoughtfully. Bull gave him time, wondering if it was really that big of a deal but not wanting to push any harder. “So, uh...Dorian…”

 

Bull shifted a little, sitting up and settling Krem on his lap. “What about Dorian?” He didn’t break Krem’s gaze, scared that if he did the other man might stop talking. “He say something he shouldn’t?”

 

“No! No…” Krem sighed quietly, his shoulders tensing up. Bull reached up to massage them gently, looking at Krem seriously as he tried to help ease his stress. “Was just sort of...wondering how you…” He cleared his throat. “Well, not  _ you _ . It’s more like…” He groaned, leaning in to bury his face into Bull’s shoulder. “I think I have a crush, chief.”

 

Well. He hadn’t been expecting  _ that _ . Still, Bull didn’t let his surprise show on his face, instead moving a hand to rub Krem’s back soothingly. “That so?” He said, keeping his tone conversational. “Did you...did you wanna do anything about that?”

 

“No...maybe? I dunno. He almost kissed me the other day when we were hanging out. Or, I mean, I almost kissed him. We almost kissed each other. It was a mutual almost-kiss.” Krem was clearly getting embarrassed, fumbling for words as he spoke into Bull’s shoulder. “I guess I was just...wondering how you might feel about...shit, I don’t know.” He looked up. “It’s not like I don’t like you, Bull. I do. I really do. I guess I just…”

 

“Hey, hey. Calm down.” Bull smiled easily. “We didn’t really get to have a conversation about this yet, but you’ve known me long enough to know that monogamy isn't the only way I’ll go when it comes to relationships Krem. So let’s start with this. Do you like Dorian? That’s what you’re saying, right?”

 

Krem groaned again, turning slightly out of Bull’s arms, away from facing him. 

 

“I guess?” He muttered, knowing better. He only had been dreading this conversation and any conversations afterwards with either Bull or Dorian because he knew that his feelings for Dorian were finally at that stage where they had bloomed into something more than just platonic, and he’d be lying about how blatantly obvious it was to himself if he said it wasn’t there. “Okay.” He finally admitted quietly. “I think I do. But I have you, and I’m more than happy with you. I just couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. You deserve to know.”

 

“Hey, it’s alright.” Bull promised, gently pulling Krem back into his arms. “I’m not offended or hurt. I know you have more than enough room in there for me. I know I’m there. Plus, Dorian is cute. He’s a pretty great guy, Krem. I get it.” 

 

Krem turned back over to face him, resting his head on his shoulder. He felt some relief to hear that. The last thing he wanted was to let his feelings towards Dorian mess up anything between him and Bull. 

 

“You sure you aren’t mad, then?”

 

Bull laughed. If anything he found it a little amusing, and a bit endearing that it turned out the way it did.

 

“Of course not, Krem.” He grinned. “It’s just a little funny how it’s gone full circle. He liked me, I liked you, now you like him…” Bull paused, thinking it over. “Hey, you know what? I could talk to him for you. If that’s what you want? Do you want to see how we can all work this out?”

 

“Might be nice,” Krem admitted softly. “Maybe you could just...I dunno. Scope things out for me, see how he feels about open relationships and shit. Take him out for lunch to hang out or something.”

 

“Sure, I can drop some hints.” Bull smiled, leaning down to kiss Krem’s hair again. “I’ll see what’s up, figure out if he’s interested, and let you know the results. Sound good?”

 

“Better than good.” Krem smiled a little against Bull’s skin, kissing his shoulder gently. “Thanks, Bull.”

 

“Hey, thanks to  _ you _ for talking to me. I’m sure it was hard to bring up, but I’m glad you trust me.” Bull smiled and held Krem against him, shifting again so he could lay down with Krem in his arms. After all of this, an afternoon nap sounded like a dream...he was just getting comfortable when his phone buzzed loudly. With a sigh, Bull hung up the call without answering, figuring if it was important that whoever it was would leave a message.

 

Then his phone rang  _ again _ , almost instantly, and he sighed with irritation. He scooped it up and glanced at it, frowning when he saw who it was.

 

“Speak of the devil,” he mumbled, answering quickly. “Hey Dorian,” he said cheerfully, trying not to laugh when Krem perked his head up to listen in. “What’s up? ...oh? ... _ oh _ .” Krem frowned, tilting his head in questioning and awkwardly rolling off of Bull when he sat up. “No, no, Krem and I were just laying down for a nap, we can get over there right now...no, it’s  _ not _ alright, Dorian.” Bull made a shooing motion with his hand, gesturing to their clothes, and Krem hurriedly pulled himself off the bed to get changed.

 

“Just lock the door, okay? ...yes, I know you said he’s not violent, but...Dorian, that’s not important right now, just lock the door. Alright?” Bull sighed, pulling on his own clothes as Krem grabbed the car keys and hurried out of the room. “We’ll be there soon, just don’t let him in, alright?”

 

He followed Krem, hanging up the phone and pulling himself into the passenger’s seat quickly. “Remember Dorian’s weird ex?”

 

“The creepy one who said they weren’t allowed to break up?” Krem groaned, starting the car and throwing on his seatbelt. “What about him?”

 

“Dorian said he just showed up at his place trying to give him a signed copy of that Grey Warden book. I should have kicked him out when I saw him at the bookstore…” Bull grumbled, gritting his teeth as Krem started driving. “Said he won’t go away. I vote we teach him a lesson.”

 

Krem laughed bitterly, his grip on the wheel tightening. “I couldn’t agree more.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Come on, Dorian. Just open the door. I waited in line for _ four hours _ just to get this signed for you.” Marcus was lingering in front of Dorian’s apartment, insistently hovering by the front door even as Dorian clearly continued to avoid him. “You can’t just hide forever! Come on, if you cared about me you’d let me in and take the book…”

 

Krem was out of the car the second they had parked, and Bull had to hurry to keep up as they approached the door. Marcus turned, smiling first then frowning as recognition dawned on him.

 

“It’s  _ you _ !” He gasped over dramatically, pointing at Bull. “The Qunari savage who runs that bookstore! How could you punch my favorite author like that, hm?! What’s wrong with you?”

 

“Listen,” Bull started, attempting to be calm. “It was in the heat of the moment, I thought--”

 

“Oh,  _ no _ .” Marcus scowled, pressing his back to the door. “You aren’t here for my Dorian, are you?! Back, you beast! Both of you, get out of here!”

 

“ _ Your _ Dorian?” Krem spoke up before Bull could think to, stepping forward and crowding Marcus against the door. “What makes you think you own him, huh? He’s already told us about how you’ve been  _ stalking _ him, acting like you’re still in a relationship when he clearly told you he wasn’t interested! If anyone’s a savage here, it’s  _ you _ .”

 

“How dare you.” Marcus straightened up as best he could with Krem hovering in his personal space, dusting himself off. “I’ll have you know we  _ are _ in a relationship. I never agreed to breaking up, and he respects that. I’ve even brought him a gift! Dorian loves me  _ very _ much, so the two of you…” He paused, making a shooing motion at Krem, “Whoever  _ you _ are, anyway, can get lost. Go on! We don’t need you here. My boyfriend and I will be just fine without the company of two filthy--”

 

“Oh, for goodness sake.” Bull perked up at the sound of Dorian’s voice behind the door, his heart skipping when Dorian finally opened it, and appeared in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “...Marcus. You are not my boyfriend. We are not in a relationship, and I don’t want your stupid book! It’s awful material and reads terribly.”

 

Marcus stared at Dorian, stunned and looking a lot like a kicked puppy...or someone who just got kicked between the legs.

 

“What? But Dorian, I thought we agreed that--”

 

With Bull and Krem there standing there, backing him up, looming over Marcus like his own personal bodyguards, Dorian mustered up the courage he had always had inside him to tell Marcus exactly how he felt and how their relationship was going to be.

 

“No. Wrong.  _ You _ agreed. _ I _ never agreed on anything. I already told you I wanted to end the relationship years ago, and you were the crazy one who thought you could tell me no. Well, Marcus...now I’m telling  _ you _ no. We are not, and will never be again, in a relationship.”

 

There was a tense, heavy silence between them as Bull and Krem continued to stand by at Dorian’s side, there to protect him at all costs. But Marcus, rather than giving up as Dorian had hoped he might, instead looked over at Iron Bull and Krem, glaring at them. 

 

“It’s because of them, isn’t it?” He grabbed Dorian by the arms, ignoring the way he winced with pain and gripping him tightly. “You can’t just throw away what we have together for  _ them!  _ Dorian...I...I just don’t understand. Y _ o _ u can’t do this to me. To  _ us _ !”

 

Krem stepped forward at that point, not caring much for the fact that Marcus was touching Dorian, and even more for the fact that Dorian didn’t seem to like it anymore than he did. He clasped his shoulder in a hold that couldn’t be interpreted as neither kind or friendly.

 

“Hey…” Krem frowned.

 

“It might be a good idea for you to let Dorian go.” Bull warned, taking a step right there at Marcus other side. He wasn’t particularly a fan of Marcus’ hands on Dorian either. Especially, not after seeing Dorian after the last time.

 

Looking between Iron Bull and Krem, and keeping in mind Bull’s little display from the day before, Marcus reluctantly unhanded Dorian, but not before giving him a slight shove.

 

“After everything I’ve done for you,” Marcus said, staring hard at Dorian and folding his arms. “And  _ this _ is how you treat me. You waste  _ my _ money and  _ my _ time just to tell me at the last moment that I mean nothing to you? You’re the cruelest man I’ve ever met.”

 

Iron Bull couldn’t keep the incredulous look off his face as Marcus spoke, more than ready to throw him over the fence and lock him out. Dorian, meanwhile, refused to back down, speaking over Marcus before he could continue ranting.

 

“Says the man who did unspeakable things to me and tried to pass it off as  _ pleasure _ .” Dorian sighed, clearly still on edge, and looked to Bull and Krem pointedly. “I’m done with this conversation. Would you two join me inside, please?”

 

“You can’t just brush me off like this!!” Marcus cried, grabbing for Dorian’s arm again and pulling hard. Dorian let out a muffled grunt as he stumbled and fell over, Marcus’s pull knocking him off balance. He glanced up at Marcus incredulously, offense clearly written all over his face.

 

“Marcus,” Dorian began, freezing when Krem cut him off with an angry growl.

 

“I’ve had enough of this shit-hog,” he snarled, his fist slamming into Marcus’s jaw with a satisfying  _ crack _ . The man went down instantly, the force of Krem’s blow more than enough to stun him. “The hell is wrong with you?! Treating people like property, talking down to Dorian like that? Hell of a way to show you ‘care’ about him, which you don’t!”

 

“I-I…” Marcus stared up at Krem from his position on the floor, scrambling back. “You’re just as much of a monster as the Qunari!”

 

“No,” Krem growled, a grim smile creeping onto his face. “I’m worse, actually. Now get the fuck out of here before I beat your ass black and blue.”

 

Marcus didn’t need to be told twice, stumbling to his feet and running away to his car as fast as his legs could take him. Dorian, still on the ground, watched as Marcus left them at last.

 

“...goodness.” Dorian’s eyes went up Krem, clearly more than a little astonished. “Thank you, Krem.”

 

“Fucker deserved it,” Krem muttered, helping Dorian to his feet and brushing him off. “You alright, Pavus?” He asked, his voice a lot gentler now that he was dealing with Dorian. He held his hand just a little too long before he realized, and shoved them into his pockets.

 

“Now that he’s gone, yes…” Dorian glanced down again, a small groan escaping him when he saw the signed copy of  _ Fifty Shades of Grey Warden _ dropped on the floor where Marcus had been. “And I’ll be even better if we can burn every last copy of that Maker forsaken book.”

 

Bull grinned at that. “Told you it was shit. C’mon, let’s get inside. I say we light up your fireplace.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next day was Krem’s day off, but he apparently spent it doing nothing but thinking about Bull and Dorian, given the barrage of texts that Bull received from him over the course of the day. The store had been busy, and he hadn’t had any time to respond to Krem - let alone even think about speaking to Dorian.

 

In the end, it wasn’t until after Bull came back from his dinner break that he had the chance to even exchange anything more than a few words with Dorian, and it was only because he caught Dorian having trouble getting down a box from one of the top shelves in the stockroom. Just in time as well. Another moment and it looked like the box would fall on top of his head.

 

“Whoa, whoa...hold up, big guy.” Iron Bull said, rushing over. “I’m coming.” He grabbed the sides of the box, and slowly helped lower the box down to the floor. 

 

Dorian huffed exasperatedly, his face clearly flushed with mild irritation that was more embarrassment than anything.”

 

“Listen Bull.” He sighed, straightening out his shirt. “Not all of us are ten feet tall. Do we have to keep the heaviest boxes on shelves that reach the ceiling?” He kneeled down, examining the box closely then pointed at the shelf behind Bull. “Could you hand me that box cutter behind you?”

 

Bull picked up the cutter and handed it off to Dorian as he squatted down next to him. 

 

“You gonna file a complaint?” Bull grinned, liking the smug smile that grew across Dorian’s face.

 

“You just better be glad that it didn’t fall on top of me. I could have gotten hurt. Or worse! I could have died. Maker’s breath…. What if something had happened to my face?” Dorian gasped playfully, barely masking the sound of the blade slicing through the tape. He handed the cutter back to Bull, and pulled the box flaps open revealing the dozens of required reading books for the nearby school.

 

“Aw come on, Dorian. You're pretty enough that even if you had a huge scar across your face you’d still be one of the handsomest guys in a ten mile radius.”

 

Dorian laughed, pulling one of the books out of the box. He flipped through it, deciding it was suitable enough for the customer waiting for him out front. 

 

“While you are completely right, your comment fails to satisfy me. You see, I should be the most handsome man in all of Thedas. Which means, if a box ever falls on my face you will be liable to pay for my cosmetic surgery.” 

 

Bull snorted, picking up the box with the rest of the books so he could refill the shelf. 

 

“Yes sir.” Bull teased. He watched Dorian rise to his feet and head for the door before he remembered Krem’s many texts. That and he felt his phone buzz again, more than likely another check-in from his boyfriend. “Hey Dorian, before you go back out. You busy Friday?”

 

Dorian paused at the door, glancing up towards the ceiling as if trying to recall if he had any other plans than study and read the book he bought a few days before on the use of magic in ancient cultures.

 

“I don’t think so. Why?”

 

“Well,” Bull said, adjusting his hold on the box. “Krem has a thing. So it’ll just be me, and Friday nights are depressing if you’re spending it all alone. You could stop by closing hour and we can go get drinks after I get off. Then head back to our place and I’ll show you another trick to that game you and Krem like to play. He’ll probably kick my ass for telling you, but you just don’t have to tell him.” Bull winked with his one good eye. “Let him think you got even better on your own. How does that sound?”

 

A mischievous smile crept onto Dorian’s face as he turned around, folding his arms. “That sounds a little like cheating to me…”

 

Bull paused, his stomach flipping slightly. “Uh...what?”

 

“...on the  _ game _ !” Dorian added quickly, his cheeks turning pink as he sighed. “Honestly…” Dorian started to laugh, shaking his head as Bull joined in, the strangeness of the situation overtaking him as well. “It sounds very nice. Though…” Dorian trailed off again, and Bull looked at him with concern.

 

“Hey, it’s alright if you don’t want to…”

 

“I do! Truly, it sounds like a lot of fun. Bars, they just…” He glanced away, sighing. “The environment reminds me a bit of Marcus, for reasons. Perhaps we could just sit around in here a bit? Drink some coffee and chat? That’s what Krem and I always do in the mornings.”

 

Bull smiled a little, nodding his head. “Sounds good to me. Whatever you’re more comfortable with...so, Friday’s good for that?”

 

“Yes, it’s a date.” Dorian turned again, then glanced over his shoulder at Bull. “I’ll see you then, Bull.”

  
He was gone before Bull could really let the words sink in.  _ It’s a date _ . Bull wondered what the implications of that could be, if there were any...with a sigh, he lifted the box up and headed for the shelves. He’d just have to find out on Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marcus is finally dead and we can move on with the story! Whoo!! tbh writing him is why this chapter took so long lmao. Thanks for sticking with us!


End file.
